Teenage Dirtbag
by The Zed Word
Summary: It's said if you start running from your issues, you end up running forever. You see, I'm moving to La Push with my best friend.For some private reasons. Its a big change, going from the streets of LA to some tiny town.*imprint story*
1. Chapter 1

**Full Summary: They say that 'If you start running away from your problems, you'll be running from them for the rest of your life'. You see, me and one of my best friends are 'relocating' to a tiny place called La Push. Its a big change, going form the Streets of LA to a tiny indian reservation. We're not running, persay, just starting new. Even though I thought moving away would solve things. But of course my reasons for moving have to follow. Note the sarcasm in that last sentence. **

**Prologue **

They say that you can't always go running away from your problems because in the long run it never solves anything. But I don't usually run away, I'm just gunna do it this one time. I'll start new and begin in a place where no one knows my name. With my only connection to La Push is my best friend's baby daddy. I'm tired of always looking over my shoulder looking for my boss. I sick of always worrying that I say one wrong thing and he blows up at me, leaving me with my fair share of bruises.

I didn't even want get mixed up with him and the 7th Street Kings, he offered to pay my medical bills after that _Rico_ from up in the hills blasted me and my buddy Rascal. My knee still don't work right though. I have to use this bomb ass cane, but I ain't complaining. I think it makes me look bad ass. Plus is some little _menso_ starts shit with me I could just beat the piss outta them with my cane. I try to look on the bright side of things, and try not to think about the fact that the reason I have the cane is because me and Rascal wouldn't loan the little bastard a pound of weed without a front. He fucking killed Rascal!

I mean who the hell did that _Pendejo_ think he is? Blasting us just because his parents would pay his allowance? Lucky bastard should be even lucky he has both his parents. My _stupido padre_ is in prison, he thought it would be a good idea to shoot a cop when they stumbled upon his little operation. My mom died when I was just _un pequena hija_. The last thing she told me was to promise to be the first in the family to graduate from high school. And I've been trying my damnedest to keep that promise.

I'm in my senior year. About a quarter in and I've been trying my hardest to keep up with it. Not many kids that go to high school around Echo Park make it to senior year. Only two of my friends have stuck through with me. The rest have left, whether it is from dropping out, or getting expelled, or getting sent to jail. Or for the select few that got out of school by catching a bullet to the chest. Around here, you go to a funeral once a week; people go the funerals more often than they go to church. I'm the only kid that hangs with the Kings that's still in school. Because of that my names 'School Girl' Others are more caught up in their 'operations' aka selling drugs from the deserted alley that me and Rascal go blasted at.

With both my parent gone I bet your wondering, where the hell is it that I sleep at night? It's not on the streets. No way in hell would I stoop that low. No offense to Mosca who lives under the overpass near the LA River. Although I hate calling it a river since seriously, it's more like a small little stream, that reeks of garbage but I guess Mosca's used to the smell since esa fucking lives there. I alternate y'know? Spend some nights at Giggles place or at Spooky's, my boss, pad. I always kinda hate staying at Spooky's because he is very….I dunno how to say this but, very Spooky I guess. He enjoys touching and kissing and even going farther. But we ain't had sex yet.

I don't know what it is about him but he's always very cold. It's nice sometimes like during the summer and the AC is busted but it gets pretty chilly sometimes in Southern California and I don't like sleeping next to a friggin ice cube. Also every now and then he'll do this thing that really creeps me out sometimes. I'll be sleeping and then I'll wake up suddenly and he's right fucking there! He's right up close to me and sniffing me like some weird ass animal. Then when I notice he's there then he's gone! He just disappears. I bring it up with him and he just says I was probably still dreaming.

He also is really weird. I saw him get hit by a car and then just fucking walk away! Not scratch on him but the car looked messed up! I remember the guy got out of the car and try and bust a cap in Spooky. I saw him fire, it was all kinda slow motion the bullet hit Spooky then just bounced off. Like he's fucking Superman! All it left was a hole in his shirt. Then what happened next blew my mind! Spooky tackled the guy and started growling like some dog with rabies or sumin. He had the guy on the ground and just started wailing on the guy. Then I saw Spooky lean down like he was gunna whisper something in the poor bastard's ear. The guy froze. And he started screaming. Then he just stopped moving and screaming and stuff. I think he was dead, but Spooky never wanted to tell me anything about what happened that night. He kept saying that he never got hit by a car, that it was just the bud I had smoked earlier that night. But I don't know.

I didn't like to admit it but Spooky scared me. And it was the kinda scared that you shouldn't feel about someone you spent this much time with. And whenever I came home he always asked me where I was, who I was there with. Like he was my fucking father! And he's not; my own dad didn't ever treat me like that, so I wasn't gunna take that shit from him! He also scared me because he would come home some nights angry, very angry. Sometimes he would beat on me. Not much, but enough. Then he would come home the next day with his hair all messed up, and his eyes glowing this weird reddish color. That's another thing that freaked me out.

He never liked being turned down either. He would get angry whenever I didn't want to do the nasty with him, which was always, call me old fashioned but I wanted love, not just meaningless… uh… meaninglessness. He would always just vanish from in front of me. I would hear him breaking things in another room and whenever I would go and look out he would fly into a rage. He started breaking me. I've been to the hospital way to many times. Its gets harder to convince the doctors that I fell. Again. he broke my bones. Y'know the bone in your thigh, its s'posed to be the hardest one to break and he broke it. It didn't even look like he was trying. I think he had this weird sado-sumin fetish, because whenever I accidently cut myself or got in some scrap that ended up bleeding, even just a little bit, her would get all….just weird. Acting freaky and licking me a lot.

Giggles keep telling me to stop going around him but I have to! I still have to pay off my knee surgery. It got the bullet out but it's still not the same. Spooky offers to pay to get some reconstructive surgery but I say no. I don't want to owe him anymore. I'm nowhere near paying him off. I've been going double time trying to expand my operation into the Speaker Queens Territory, but they don't want one of the King's Girls hanging around their neighborhood.

I was kinda late and my knee was bothering me. It was chilly, which is winter down here in the LAC, and I could feel the chill straight through to my bad knee. I had already taken to sitting on the dusty old couch that had appeared here over a year ago. I was waiting for another Rico from the hills to come down and get a 'discount'. It was the %200 percent discount. The price I give them is double what I usually give the regulars but they can afford it. If they could afford to drive around in some stupid hybrid car they could afford to pay top dollar for some product.

I leaned back on the couch, ignoring the distinct smell of cat piss and other bodily fluids. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and checked to see if the stupid _Guera_ messeged me about when she'd get here And I don't mean Guera, my bud Guera, I mean that white chick that lives with her mom and her trust fund. I pulled a container of Chinese food from my black duffle bag. I pulled the chopsticks out of my pocket that I kept there. When you're a bit of a stoner and you get the munchies you gotta keep your own silverware. Or well, woodware. I popped open the container and dug into my beef broccoli.

"If the _Pendeja_ isn't here by the time I finish my dinner I'm heading out" I reasoned out loud. I yawned and looked at my phone for the time. I tossed my empty Chinese food container towards a couple of trashcans further down the alleyway. I yawned again. A couple more minutes wouldn't hurt. I closed my eyes and rested a little bit. When my knee starts acting up I have to take my meds. Nothing major just some pain killers. Bad thing about them though is that they make me kinda sleepy. I guess I fell asleep because I woke up to the feeling of my phone vibrating against my thigh. I flinched and grabbed it. The caller id said 'Spooky'. I saw the time. 2am. Ugh! That friggin _cabrona_ didn't show! I flipped open the phone and pressed the answer button, only to have my ears assaulted by none other than Spooky in one of his moods.

"Hello, School Girl here." I answered.

"School Girl? Dammit! What the fuck? Where the hell are you? I've been waiting for you to call and I'm fucking pissed at you! Do you think you can just be my girl and then just go around without my permission? What the fuck!" he yelled into the phone.

"Listen Spooky, I'm sorry that I didn't call you. I fell asleep waiting for a client, don't be too mad at me, okay?" I said with my voice weak. I didn't like it when he was mad; he hurt me when he was mad. Usually I'm not one to walk around with my tail between my legs but he scared me. I'm usually fearless, as in fearless enough to punch out the Morena's lead girl. And she's known to keep a knife in her hair mess of Aquanet covered hair for when she fights.

"You bet your fucking ass that you're sorry! After all I've done for you, I paid for your medical bills when you fucking retarded enough to get your ass shot, I give you a place to stay, I give you food, I buy you nice things and this is how you fucking repay me!" he screamed the last part, I hdeld the phone away from my so I wouldn't lose my hearing. At this moment as my back was turned away from the mouth of the alley and a car that had pulled up in the alleyway without my knowledge honked its horn at me. I jumped and dropped the phone; it snapped shut when Spooky had started up again with his ranting. Oh no.

He would be super pissed at me. I remember the last time I accidently hung up on him, that's how I broke that bone in my leg, the femur! That's what it's called. I prayed that he wouldn't be to mad. Dear god, don't let him be to mad. I turned towards the car that had pulled up. It was one of hybrids that the _Ricos_ drove all the time. The moon roof was open and I saw a torso waving their arms wildly. It was sitting on the roof of the too-clean hipster car. I hate hipsters, they think that if they move into our neighborhood, shop at our shitty convenience stores, and buy from our drug dealers, that they are one of us. But you can always tell a real homeboy from a hipster shit.

"Hey! You School Girl?" the figure yelled. I recognized that voice; it was the voice I heard on the phone when I was scheduling the meeting. That was the fucking _Pendeja_ that had me waiting this whole time. I guess since Spooky was probably pissed at me I could make him a little happier by bringing home some money.

"Me? Yeah, why? You looking to score a little something?"

"Depends what'cha got?" stupid idiot, I hated how the _mensos_ from the hills thought it was this whole secret code down in Echo Park. There wasn't the cops don't give a shit anymore. They called this place 'self cleaning ovens' just shut the door and let the problem take care of itself.

"Depends on what yah looking for, why don'cha come down from that car and talk some business. Huh?" The figure complied. I guess he was the passenger since the driver's side door opened and the person sitting on the roof of the car jumped down. God I hate these _cabrons_. They walked over to the beat up old couch and I used my cane as leverage to get myself up off the dusty monster. I gave them a quick up and down, assessing whether or not they were a threat. Something I forced myself to do ever since that night with me and Rascal. One was tall, a guy, with too tight pants, a v-neck, a scarf, and a fedora. The other was a girl, shorter and dressed in way to much Hollister.

"Okay, we're here. How much for a ten grams of coke, you know ?" the dude asked, looking around a little too much. Figures these hipsters always go for the nose candy. Makes me hate 'em just that much more. They think it's what the homeboys do, but most of the homeboys stay away from the shit. Most of us may be piss poor but we knew better than to take those chances. We mostly only sell that shit for house parties up in the hills. It's their party favors. _Hijos de Putas_. And they ask for ten fucking grams! Do you know how much that is! I don't carry around that much product. _Mensos_.

"Well," I said starting my well rehearsed 'business' speech. "That depends, you want the good stuff or the great stuff?" I said smiling. They were both the same, but you make an extra hundred bucks, depending on how much you jack the price up. Stupid _ricos_ never know the difference. They both looked at each other and smiled a little too wide. I hate _ricos_, subtle little things they do just creep me out.

I limped my way backwards towards my discarded bag. Being sure not to turn my back to them. I looked down for a split second and pulled my bag up and onto the couch. I took a quick glance up to the _ricos_ to make sure they weren't doing anything shifty. But they were gone. I looked around wildly almost toppling over. They were just gone, vanished. Their car was still here. The doors left open and the headlights shining down the alleyway behind me. Now I was really creeped out. Where the hell did those freaks go?

I heard a banging noise. I looked up, expecting to see some animal running across the roof. The _ricos_ were there, standing on the edge of the roof. The boy slowly leaned forward and tumbled the three floors to the ground. He made a sick thump and was followed soon after by the girl. I let out a small scream. I dragged my leg behind me as I practically sprinted towards them. What the hell? How did they get up there? Especially without me noticing? And why the hell did they fall like that? I fell to my knees, wincing as my right knee screamed at me. I pulled the girl towards me. Pulling her onto my lap face up. Her neck was twisted at an awkward angle. Her face looked frozen in a silent scream. Her eyes wide in fear. The guy looked to be in the same shape.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I turned swiftly feeling eyes on me. I saw and empty alleyway. Then before I could react I was up against a wall. I looked down, my feet were dangling at least a trashcan's height above the ground. Spooky was the one who had me pinned by my neck to the wall. His too cold hands burning, along with newly forming bruises. I tried to cry out. But that just made him increase pressure on my neck.

"I am tired of your impertinence. Perhaps, if you had eternity to learn…" he trailed off. His odd reddish eyes staring off in a different direction. I was running out of air. I was gasping for air. My panic making the air leave my body just that much faster. Spooky must have noticed me freaking out because his eyes focused again staring at me. Well a small strip of skin that was exposed on my neck. He let me slide down the wall until we were at about eye level. I was standing on the tips of my toes now. Trying to get air flowing again.

He continued to stare. His eyes were dark. Or maybe it was just the lighting, or lack thereof, of the alleyway with nothing but a simple street lamp lighting up the street. His face was getting closer to my neck. What the hell was this guy planning? He came closer, his cold breath dancing across my skin. I winced. Wasn't someone's breath supposed to be warm? I felt something on my neck, but didn't have enough time to question it since he bit into me.

A scream was frozen in my throat. No matter how many times I saw someone I know die, no matter what I had seen before this moment, this really just scared me. Maybe I felt it, deep in my bones, that whatever the hell was going on with me would forever change my life. My neck was burning. My knee was aching horribly, the continuous pain made tears come to my eyes. I hadn't hurt this much since I was actually shot. I didn't like what was going on. I didn't understand it.

He flinched away from me. Spitting onto to ground. I looked and saw a small dark pool. Was that, my blood? Was Spooky one of those freaky wannabe vampire's like those annoying Goth kids I went to school with? Or used to go to school with, most of those kids would leave and go to some school in a richer part of LA, where they were supposed to.

"All those eyes of drug use have made your blood made lose any appealing taste." He grimaced. As if it was my fault that this weirdo was biting me. He let go of my neck and I slid to the ground, looking up at him, my hands going to my neck in an effort to stop the bleeding.

"Oh well, enough of that, in three days time none of that will matter." He said looking down on my. He kneeled on one knee, placing a hand on my cheek. I stared at him. Questioning his actions. He stroked my check, to gently compare to the fact that he just fucking bit me! This is too weird, way too weird. Then Spooky was gone. I was so tired; I didn't have time to question what the hell had just happened but my basic primal instincts started to kick in. Fresh adrenaline was pumping and I needed to get the hell out of here. I picked myself off the ground. I searched around for my cane. I couldn't find it so I decided to try and make it to Giggles' place without it. I kept most of my weight on my good leg and dragged the other behind me.

At this moment I was so happy about the fact that Giggles didn't live that far away from the alley where I did business. I made my way there, slowly. The blood still oozing from my neck. Although it had stopped burning as much which I considered good. I dragged myself up her stairs and practically fell against her door. I tried making as much racket as I could, trying to get her attention. I was sorry for having to wake her and the baby but right now, I just needed her. I needed the only family I had. Even though she wasn't really family.

I leaned against her door. On hand cupping my neck and the other feebly knocking against door. It opened and I fell backwards inside. I looked up into the eyes of Giggles. She had probably noticed the blood because she looked liked she had gone into one of her moods. The overprotective mother kinda mood. She got like that every since her _hijo_, Little Sleepy, was born.

Big Sleepy, or just Sleepy, was the baby daddy. He went off to war. Y'know that big one in 'the middle east'. I never understood any of that junk. I knew Sleepy, he was nice. And the only casino Indian that we had here in Echo Park. He was real big, and strong to. He had a bit of an anger issue, but nothing to major. Every now and then he would start shaking like he was having a seizure but that's really only if some other homeboy started hitting on Giggles. Which they soon learned not to do.

Sleepy's dad apparently came from this tiny as hell Indian reservation up in Washington. His dad had ran away from the rez and came here to Echo Park, not that much of a step up but whatever. When Sleepy was still alive he made Giggles happy. And then when he went off to the middle east Giggles kinda stopped giggling. And then when the _Parque_ got news that he died. She almost lost it. They were really in love. And not the 'i-wanna-get-in-your-pants' kind of love, but the 'we're-gunna-spend-the-rest-of-our-lives-together-and-I-won't-even-start-drinking' kinda love. It made me so sad to see him go because since Giggles was like a sister to me Sleepy was like a brother.

Giggles stopped eating; she didn't even take care of Little Sleepy. But then, I dunno, she just snapped out of it. She started eating, taking care of Little Sleepy, who now a days was just Sleepy, and really just started to be Giggles again. You could tell she still missed him, we all did. He was really popular in the _Parque_. He passed his name on to his kid, but Giggles hoped to get Little Sleepy out of the _Parque_, we all hoped that. We all loved Little Sleepy. Little Sleepy was so cute. Big Sleepy always talked about going to La Push, that's the place his dad came from, he wanted to find out about his family. Other than the fact that his dad got his mom pregnant and then got himself shot. Everyone got shot around here.

I got shot, did I tell you that…I think I did. I can't remember my minds a little hazy. Must be the bite. I got bit. Did I tell you that? By Spooky, he's my boss slash boyfriend. I'm still in school. They call me School Girl. I miss Sleepy. I'm sleepy. Maybe I should sleep. But then, don't they say that you shouldn't go to sleep because you might just never wake up? Although that may only be with concussions. I got one of those once. I couldn't sleep for a whole 24 hours. It was real hard since me were smoking bud for a lot of that.

Did I ever tell you that I got shot? Now I walk with a cane. I'm so sleepy. If any…so…little _menso_…sleepy…messes with me….could always…Sleepy's dad's from La Push….tired, so tired…Giggles looks worried…tired…sleep just sleep…everything will be better tomorrow….I miss Big Sleepy, he was like a brother….I'm gunna…to me….sleep now…La Push seems nice…nighty night…Big Sleepy, Giggles loved you, why'd you leave her?...bye…night is for sleep…I got shot once…did I tell you that?

**So this is the beginning. Enjoy.**

**For those who need a translation, here you go:**

**Hijo de Puta – Son of a bitch**

**Cabron/a – bastard/bitch**

**Menso/a – stupid person **

**Pendejo/a – jackass **

**Stupido – stupid**

**Pequena hija – little girl **

**Guera – lighter skinned person (pronounced weda)**

**Rico/a/s – Rich person**

**And just so you know I made up the 7****th**** Street Kings, The Morenas, and the Speaker Queens. So don't go around ELA and Echo Park looking for them, you'll get your ass handed to you XD. If those are actually names of gangs forgive me, I have not affiliations with them. Any questions? Review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I felt hyper so i typed up another chapter. Enjoy, since this doesn't happen very often. Any and all translations are on the bottom. As they will be for the rest of the chapters. **

**Chapter 1 **

And that was the whole thing that started it all. And now I sit here, in the passenger seat of Giggles' Volkswagen bus. Or the Stoner Van as it was so justly nicknamed. People didn't call it that much since Little Sleepy was born. They said that Giggles was a mom now. In our group of home girls she was like the mom. But I guess since me and her we were heading north Sad Girl would have to step it up.

My replacement cane was resting in between my legs. Giggles had taped up my neck. She had practically beat me with my spare cane to get me to pack up my stuff. My dyed dark red hair was put up in two low ponytails. My knee pain was dulled, probably thanks to the bowl I had smoked in the back of the van. There was a front seat, where me and Giggles were sitting. Little Sleepy was strapped into his baby seat behind us. And behind that there was the carpeted back. You could lay out back there. There was even a mattress that you could roll out. Our bags were back there.

I had a black and blue plaid triangle shaped scarf wrapped around my neck to cover up the bandage. I didn't want to look at it. And I didn't want other people staring at it either. I had enough with the cane.

Giggles was helping me run away. I think she was also fulfilling the promise she had made to Big Sleepy to go meet up with his family and let 'em know 'hey, just so you know, I'm like your cousin or sumin'. Well it probably wasn't those exact words but the essence is the same. I maneuvered myself so I could take a look at Little Sleepy. The little cholo was out cold. The little guy was cute, he'll grow up to be quite the heartbreaker if I do say so myself. The bite on my neck burned every now and then. But I guess I'm just healing, y'know? Giggles didn't have any family back in LA, same as me. She never knew what happened to them; she was raised by her _abuela_ and once she died Giggles was on her own. Living in the same house she was raised.

"I've been thinking." I said after a too long silence.

"You've been thinking _esa_? Damn, don't hurt yourself." She said not even looking away from the road ahead of her. I rolled my eyes.

"_Callate, pinche_. I been thinking since we're on the run and shit we need new names. Y'know? Something classy like Bonnie and Clyde."

"Whatever esa, I think I'll stick with Giggles. But you go on ahead Clyde. And we're not on the run, we're visiting family." She said and laughed. Whatever you say _pinche_.

"Your family not mine, esa. I ain't got no family" I said as a matter 'o' factually. Now she looked at me. Then she punched me in the arm.

"_Chinga!_ What the hell, _puta_?" I said and rubbed my arm.

"Don't you say that, School Girl. You're practically my sister, so _callate la boca_ about that. This is Sleepy's family, so this is my family, so this is your family. _Entiendes?"_ she said. I nodded. She looked ahead at the road. And awkward silence fell over the car, the only noises being Little Sleepy's steady breathing.

"Hey, Giggles? Can we stop soon? I'm starved!" I said. She looked over at me. I smiled sweetly. The gift of food was a peace offering. I really was hungry.

I got tired after we ate, it was Taco Bell I had a crunchwrap and about half a dozen tacos. So I fell asleep in the back. I guess I slept for a long time since I felt that the van had stopped. I sat up from my spot on the bed and noticed that Giggles was leaning her head on the steering wheel. She was quiet.

"Giggles? You okay? Where we at?" I asked. She didn't lift up her head to answer me.

"I did some research. This is the house of the only living family Sleepy had." She said, her voice sounding small. I dragged myself closer to her and leaned against the seats for support. I looked out the window and saw that we were parked on the side of the street near this little house that looked like it could use a fresh coat of paint, or two, or seven.

"You nervous? Is that what this is? Come on _pinche_ I thought you were better than this. What happened to the girl that flat out convinced the cops to let me out of lockup for my grandma's funeral. Even though she's been dead since before I was born. You're strong. And Sleepy knew that, that's why he loved you! Now come on _esa_, let's go in there and show those people what Sleepy did for himself." I said finishing with my little speech and lowering myself down to the floor. I leaned against the side of the van and tried to sooth my aching leg. I popped a cigarette into my mouth. I lit it and took a puff.

"So, come on _puta_. S'cgo" I said. I took a puff of my cigarette. Then another. She looked up from the steering wheel. I raised my eyebrow at her. "We going or not, _pendeja?_"

I scooted myself over to the doors on the side of the van and popped them open. I retrieved my cane and used it to stagger up from the van. I looked around. This place was white. Way to white. Even one of the cars in the driveway was white. A layer of snow covered everything. I ain't ever seen snow except for up in the mountains. I kinda wanted to go and roll around in it. But I don't think my knee would like that very much. I heard the van doors open and shut, then open and shut again. I slammed the side doors shut and limped my way towards the front of the house. Giggles was a couple of steps in front of me with the baby in her arms.

She reached the front door and paused, waiting for me. Sometimes I really hated being a cripple. But I guess it's something I'm gunna have to deal with for the rest of my life. I heard people inside. Sounded like a big happy family. Something neither of us ever had. She looked at me. I gave her an encouraging smile, leaning on my cane. The weather here. It's cold, really friggin cold. I was wearing a pair of large grey sweatpants, they were rolled up at the top a couple times but the legs still bunched up around my blue beat up old vans. They used to be neon, two years ago when I got 'em. I really need new shoes. The cold was hurting me knee. Why didn't I get the stupid surgery when Spooky offered?

"Go on, _pinche_" I said. The cold was ebbing through the black hoodie I was wearing, and I only had on a tank top under that. They don't prepare you for Washington winter back in Echo Park. The noise in the house seemed to stop. She looked at me annoyed. I gestured my hand towards the door. _Go on_ it said. Her closed fist hovered hesitantly over the door. She held it there.

I heard some noises from inside the house. The door was flung open from the inside. In the doorway stood a very tall Native American man. He had to lean down to look at us. He looked…incredibly threatening. _Cabron _looked a lot like Sleepy. I think Giggles thought the same because I heard her take a painful breath. I threw her a comforting look. I didn't want her to get all upset over Sleepy again. Then I would to. I did miss Sleepy a lot, although definitely not as much as Giggles.

"Can I help you?" asked the not so gentle looking giant in a deep voice. Giggles took a deep breath.

"Well, yes there is. I'm here looking for a man named Samuel Uley. Is he here?" she asked him. He took a good long look at her. And the baby. Then he turned his attention to me. He was looking at my cane. I just knew it. I hated when people stared at my cane.

"Take a fucking picture _pendejo_ it'll last longer" I spat out. He stared at me. He started shaking just like Sleepy used to. Was this _cabron_ Sam Uley? Giggles glared at me.

"Now is not the time, _pinche_. Be nice. I'm sorry 'bout her. Y'know teenagers these days" she said and laughed nervously.

"Hey esa, don't apologize for-"

"_Callate_" Giggles interrupted me. I stayed quite this time. I stared on the ground. Pretended to be interested in the hole that was starting to form in the toe of my shoe. The wind blew and I shivered. Giggles started talking again.

"Is here or not? I find that the matter at hand is important." She said. She sounded too sweet. I could tell though that she just wanted to find the dude and then get the hell out of there. The man shifted nervously from foot to foot in the door way. I looked up from the shoes and watched as he glanced inside. Little Sleepy started fussing around in Giggles' hands. The man gave us a look that was full of pity. But who wouldn't if they opened the door and found a young mother without a father for her baby, and a teenager who got shot and now has to walk around everywhere with a goddamned cane?

"Sure, I guess. Come in, he's in the living room" he said and pointed us the way inside. Giggles went in first. Then I went in, leaning heavily on my left leg, my good one. The hallway was narrow. The giant followed behind us and shut the door. The hallway opened up to what I guess was the living room. It had a couple of couches and an arm chair. On the couches sat what looked like clones of Sleepy, and the man at the door. Another man sat on the armchair a women sitting in his lap. On her face were some horrible looking scars. Poor thing. A couple of the guys had women with them. I saw one girl, who didn't look like she was anyone's girl. As a matter of fact, she looked angry just at being there. I think I would like this girl. A couple of the guys on the couches got up in order to give us a place to sit. I noticed that before they did that they looked to the guy in the armchair. That bothered me. It was as if they could only do things with his okay.

The two guys that had vacated their seats were seated next to each other so me and Giggles sat down next to each other. I fell onto the couch heavily glad to give my knee a rest. Giggles sat down a little more gracefully. One of the guys that had gotten up was now staring at her. Well, everyone was staring at us, but he was staring directly at her. Just like the way Sleepy used to stare at her. I didn't much like that. He had plugs in, they looked like 1 inchers. I just had the lowly 4 gauge tapers on. His hair was cut in a buzz, much like everyone else in the room, except the girls, and the one who had greeted us at the door, the one at the door had long hair. But this guy, with the plugs in had a tribal looking design cut into his head. Homeboys in the _Parque_ always did that and looked retarded, but this guy could pull it off. He looked a little thinner than the rest and was wearing a band tee. But I still didn't like the fact he was staring at me. or the way the other one was staring at Giggles. I wished they would revert their eyes somewhere else I was getting other guy that had given us his seat was staring to. But at me. And let me tell you, he look eternally pissed. Little Sleepy started fussing again so I took him and held on to him. I cooed in his ear that it was _Tia_ Charlie and to quite down so mommy could talk.

"So, I hear you looking for me" said the man in the arm chair. So that was Sam Uley. I could tell just by looking at him I wouldn't like the man. I had that special skill. I could look at someone and know I would not get along well with him. Giggles looked at him and smiled.

"Why yes. My name is Claudia Astacio Perez Otero-" she paused. My guess is for dramatic effect. "-Uley" she finished. A number of people in the room looked shocked, a couple looked angry. Especially the one that was staring at her. Then his look changed. He looked sad. "This is my adopted sister Charlie Adelina Rivera. And this is my son. Joshua Uley, the third." She stopped again. Letting the names sink in. I didn't really like the fact she told them all of my real name. But I don't think anyone minded that as much as they minded the name she gave Little Sleepy. Everyone started talking at once. Then the man in the chair silenced them all simply by yelling 'Quiet'. I didn't like how quickly everyone followed this guys order. He was shaking a little bit and the women sitting with him put a hand on his chest. He stopped as soon as she did that and then looked at her lovingly. It made me want to barf just looking at it. Giggles continued on. I guess she had planned out her own little speech.

"I met Little Joshua's father some years ago. His name was Joshua Uley-"

"Leave." Sam cut in. I stared at him, what the hell was this guy's problem.

"Wh-What?" Giggles said.

"Leave." He said again. I looked weird, kinda like he was stopping himself for doing something horrible. I get that look sometimes, although only when I'm trying not to do something stupid even though I really wanna do it.

"Excuse me?" I cut in. "I don't think you should be interrupting her. She's trying to tell you about your fucking family and you interrupt her? What the hell, _cabron_. So please shut up and let her finish. _Comprendes?_" I yelled. I didn't like him. I didn't like how he interrupted her. I dunno something about when people interrupt other people just makes me kinda angry. The girl sitting with him looked scared. Every guy in the room shifted awkwardly. Their eyes moved from me to Sam and back again. I guess nobody talked to him like that. He was glaring at me, and I was glaring right back.

"I don't care if you think your family, you're not. And I want you gone. Out of my house and off my reservation." He said. Oh hell naw! Giggles just sat there, she looked like she was about to cry. I put a hand on her arm and her demeanor changed.

"I don't care want you think! This child is Quileute, and I am going to fulfill a promise made by his father. To have him raised among his people. I just wanted to let you know that he was here. Now Goodbye" Giggles looked, well pissed. She grabbed Little Sleepy from me and rushed out and away from this room. The one that had been staring at her made a move to follow her but froze as soon as Sam even looked at him. I was left there bathing in the awkwardness of the fact that I was still there. I needed to get out of here. These people, I can't stand it here, I need to get the hell out of here. I stood, struggling but I stood. I limped my way over to the doorway. I felt so self-conscious. I felt everyone staring at me. Stare at the cripple she doesn't care. It's not like she's a person or anything. I made it to the mouth of the hallway and paused. I turned around, almost falling.

"What the fuck is wrong with you people?" I asked them. I looked each and everyone one of those assholes in the eye, hoping to let guilt fester in them. "She comes in here, just wanting to tell you, 'hey, just so you know we're related.' And you don't even have the fucking decency to hear her out. Well I tell you this, we're not leaving. We're staying on this fucking reservation and we're raising that kid. He's your nephew, did you know that? Well course not; you're too good to even listen. I hope you all are fucking happy with yourselves." I turned to go. But stopped and turned back around.

"And one last thing, I knew Joshua, he was a good man, scratch that, he was a great man. I find it hella fucking hard to believe that you two are brothers." And with those final words of wisdom I limped my way down the hall and out the door. I saw Giggles was already in the van waiting for me. I was walking down the path when I heard a voice from inside.

"Paul!" a voice yelled. It was Sam. The door behind me burst open but I ignored it. I felt a hot hand on my shoulder. I flinched away from it and turned to see who it was. I almost fell but the hand stopped me. I looked up into the face of the person that was really starting to piss me off.

"Back off, _pendejo_" I told the man. I snatched my arm from his grip. He reached for me again and I lifted up my cane and hooked the handle on his shoulder. I pulled him down towards me. I looked him right in the eye.

"What the fuck don't you understand about 'back off'?" I stage whispered. I pushed the handle of my cane so it dug into his shoulder and then pushed him away. He started to do that weird shaking thing. What's with these weirdoes? I almost felt bad for treating him so poorly, but I think I'm aloud to be a little bitchy considering what just happened in that house. I turned back away and hopped into the car.

"_Vamos_" Giggles said as soon as I was in my seat. We sped off down the street, mostly just trying to get away from that house and the people in it. I looked in the rearview mirror and watched the man just standing there, watching us leave.

"So…where we gunna stay tonight, _pinche_?" I asked Giggles. I had nothing against sleeping in the car but after a couple days it did get a little painful.

"_No se_, I guess we could pick up a newspaper at a Seven-Eleven" She said. This place was pretty small so not fifteen minutes later we had come upon a place labeled 'General Store' which was right next door to a small looking café.

"S'cgo esa, we'll get some newspapers in there the head over to the diner for some dinner and check out the available apartments, _si?_" I said.

"How 'bout this place: 'two bedrooms, one bath, Satan worshipers welcome." I said and raised an eyebrow at Giggles. We we're at the diner now. A nice little place. Giggles was busy feeding Little Sleepy some mashed up food. The people that worked there offered to bring the little guys food pre-cut up. Nice people. Damn near almost everyone on this reservation was nice. Well except for Sam and his crew. Must be a small town thing.

"Nice try _pinche_, but I don't know how I feel about living in a place that is 'Satan worshiper friendly'." She said laughing. The waitress came to drop off our check.

"Hey, I couldn't help but overhear. I know for sure that the apartment above the diner is vacant. I'm sure the diner owner, wouldn't mind renting it out to you guys, if you worked in the shop." She said smiling. Giggles smiled gratefully.

"That would be great, where could I find ?" she asked. Sweet, first step to getting situated here down.

"Oh I think she's upstairs, cleaning up after the previous occupants." She said smiling.

"And which way is the stairs?" Giggles asked. The waitress point through the kitchen.

"It's back there on the right, you can't miss it." Giggles got up to go. But stopped and glanced hesitantly at me.

"No worries, you go work out the apartment, I'll watch over the little man." I said while smiling goofily at the little guy. She smiled at me and placed the baby in my lap. She walked off in the direction the waitress had pointed. I cradled the baby. My cane was resting across a chair next to me. I took a minute to look at the intricate designs that were carved into it. I had a friend back in LA who was always good in woodshop. My old cane had me carved into it smoking a jay. But this one was a little classier. It had a tribal looking design on it. I liked it. It kinda looked like one of my tattoos, the one I had across my shoulder and into a half sleeve.

I grabbed one of the newspapers and unfolded it so it covered up me and the baby. I started pointing out and reading the articles in weird voices. It seemed to be entertaining Little Sleepy enough. I stopped for a moment when I heard the chair across from me being pulled out and then someone sitting in it. I ignored them. Even when they did that annoying 'pay attention to me' cough. I continued reading to the kid. It was some article about a drug bust in Seattle. I twisted around the article so that the cops were the bad guys and the drug dealers were just minding their own business while working there operation. What can I say? I'm a little biased when it comes to my fellow drug dealers. Speaking of I need to get in on a new operation here. I decided to see what the person sitting across from me wanted.

"…and then the big bad cops took the nice drug dealers to jail, causing them to lose thousands of dollars worth of product. The End" I finished my edited version of the news and flipped down the new paper. One of the guys from earlier was sitting across from me. The one with the plugs. From the way he was looking at me he kinda looked like a hurt puppy. I kinda like this kid. He didn't seem to want to go along with what that jerkwad Sam.

"Can I help you?" I asked, not truly wanting to show how much I liked this kid. Well, I don't think I should really be calling him kid, he looked a lot taller than me sitting down. He was prolly in his late twenties, but it's a habit.

"Um, uh…yes. You can help me." he said stumbling over his words. He was so adorable!

"With what? Spit it out, _pinche_." I said smirking.

"Um…where's your friend? Claudia?" he asked. Aww, I knew he was smitten with her. What? Who the hell says smitten these days? I smirked. Good for you, kid.

"She went to check out the available apartment upstairs. No worries she'll prolly be down in a minute." I said and smiled. He got up and turned towards the door. He started walking but I stopped him.

"Hey, what's your name kid?" I called after him. He turned back to look at me.

"You really think you should be calling me kid?" he asked, raising his eyebrow. I could tell that he really wanted to go after her though. But for now I would just watch him squirm.

"Well, yes. Yes I do. Name, kid?"

"Name's Call, Embry Call" he answered in the classic Bond style.

"Call? Any relation to owner of this Diner and the person my friend's meeting with right this very second?" I asked.

"Yeah, she's my mom" he said smiling and practically sprinted towards the kitchen. I smiled after him. Sweet kid. Kinda annoying, but sweet all the same. I just hoped Giggles would think the same.

**Translation:**

**Abuela- grandma **

**Esa- dude**

**Callate- quite**

**Pinche- asshole (in the endearing way)**

**Chinga – fuck**

**Callate la boca- shut up **

**Entiendes- understand**

**Cabron- bastard**

**Pednejo- jackass **

**Parque- Park**

**Comprendes?- understand?**

**Vamos- lets go **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: A special thank you to my two nice reviewers. And another thanks to those who alerted/favorite. Enjoy! Oh, I forgot: Disclaimer: I get no profit from writing this, I own nothing except Charlie, Claudia, Josh Jr. (aka Big Sleepy), and Josh III (Little Sleepy) and the plot. Review please. **

**Chapter 2 **

We got the apartment. Although I think the odds were turned a bit in our favor since Embry had talked to Ms. Call. We barely knew him and he was already trying to help us out. It was a pretty nice place. It was only one bedroom. Giggles would sleep there with the baby and I would sleep out in the living room on the couch. Apparently the previous owner had left us all there furniture, even there big screen TV. Which, was pretty awesome if I don't say so myself. Giggles and Little Sleepy had gone to bed already. That kid Embry didn't seem to want to leave. But finally did once Giggles had a private little chat with him. He left looked crushed but hopeful.

I was asleep then. Or I was trying to. I was dreaming. Dreaming a horrible dream.

_It was dark, and I was in the alleyway I got shot in. it seemed a little too dark, something which I didn't like. It was the night I got shot. Except, Rascal wasn't there. _

_Where that that little Hijo de puta? We had only gone into business last month so I was cutting the little cabron some slack. He was late. And the buyer was coming. _

_The buyer was here. It had a hood on, and its hand was in its pocket, moving around, looking for something. _

_You the buyer. I asked._

_It was silent. Not saying anything. Not even moving._

_Rascal? Is that you? Why the hell you trying to scare me? I called down the alley. The mouth of the alley seemed so far away. Wasn't it just not more than a couple yards away. It looked long as miles. Too long. _

_Rascal? I called again. _

_It pulled out its hand. Something metallic caught the light. I saw a flash, and then I felt pressure in my chest. I fell to the floor of the alley. I felt the recently fallen rain soak through my hoodie. _

_The person pulled down its hood. Buts its face was still hidden by the shadows. I walked towards me. Its footsteps echoing loudly. So loudly it drove me crazy. I wanted to scream out. But I couldn't. It all seemed so real. _

_The person got to my side. Looking down. The light hit its face. It was Spooky. He was staring down at me, smiling a crazy smile his eyes growing brightly red._

_The pain hit me all at once. And this time I screamed. I scream loud and I screamed long. I felt Spooky's hands on me. Holding me down, shaking me. Even smacking me. He yelled at me. Yelling my name over and over again. Charlie! Charlie wake up! _

"Charlie, wake up!" it was Giggles. I was screaming. I ran out of air and I finally stopped. I was gasping for air. Hyperventilating. Giggles was holding me. And I was crying into her shoulder. She knew about my dreams.

It was recurring. Something I started dreaming after I got shot. It was pretty much the same dream every night. Only with the roles switching. Sometimes I was doing the one shooting, shooting someone I loved, those dreams were the worst. Always the worst. Especially since sometimes I dreamt that Little Sleepy had grown up and I was shooting him. I never had control over what happened in the dream. I always seemed to be watching from behind my eyes. Sometimes different people shot me. One time it was Giggles, I cried the worst that night. But it always ended the same, with me screaming. Whether it was because I was the one shot, or I saw someone I loved shot, or I was the one shooting.

But the dream was strange. They were always strange. This time Rascal was late, he didn't get shot, he didn't die. But in real life he did. He was on time. He was there, and he was dead. The person that shot me didn't wear a hood, didn't bother to conceal who he was at all. I pointed him out in court sometime later, only to have my testimony thrown out for being an 'unreliable witness'. Because of course it was my fault I got shot. I never felt rain soak through my sweater; it hadn't rained in two months. I didn't get shot in the chest; I got shot in the knee. The shooter hadn't looked down on me. He had shot then left.

After I had calmed down enough to stop crying I looked at Giggles. We were sitting next to each other on the couch/bed. I was still hugging her.

"That dream again?" she asked.

"Yeh-*hiccup* yeah." I choked out.

"Who was it this time?" she asked, we were just going through the motions now.

"It was Spooky this time, he got me. He got me" I said. "What are you doing up? I didn't wake the baby did I?" she shook her head.

"I was making Little Sleepy a bottle. He was fussing. I was in the kitchen when I heard you." She said.

"Heh, sorry. Is the baby okay?" she nodded. I smiled slightly.

"Hey, go to sleep _chiflada_. Don't you have school tomorrow?" she said roughing up my hair. I ran a hand through it, trying to fix it.

"Yeah, I guess. Thanks _Mom_" I said.

"Callate! I'm too young to be your mom. _Duermate!"_

000

School. What is there to say about school? I had been going to the 'La Push Tribal School' for about a month now. I had just got to the diner from school. Me and Giggles were both working there to help pay for the apartment and other necessities. Like food, I've really just been starving all the time these days. I kept the scarf wrapped around my neck. I didn't want any people, especially any spoiled school kids asking any unwanted, and stupid questions. The wound was all healed up. But the scar was still there. It had healed up really quick. Something I was glad of. Now I just need to wait for the scar to fade. No one really seemed to question the scarf. There was still snow on the ground. I was beginning to get sick of it. I still haven't been able to roll around in the snow, make a snowball and throw it, or even try making a shody excuse of a snow man. I would one day. Maybe. Hopefully.

I took a seat behind a counter, placing my cane on one of the shelves. said I could stay behind the counter and just wait on the people who sat there. Which was good, less walking around for me. It's not like I could deliver a meal to a table of people while sporting a cane. Giggles had already started working as soon as they opened up. I think she liked this job. And so did I. It was legal. I was still thinking about starting another operation up here. But I'm now sure yet. Maybe getting away from Echo Park means that I also needed to get away from that life style. But I still had some connection up here. Just in case I did feel the need to start back up again.

I was resting on my stool behind the counter. Ms. Call sure was nice to us. She let me sit down as not to bother my knee. I remember when we first met she asked me what had happened to make me walk with a cane. And I told her. I told her the fake story I had made up specifically for this type of situation. That I was in a car accident. She didn't seem to question it. Something which I was glad for. If she knew that I had gotten shot she might not want us living here.

It was relatively slow in the diner. The kids that came in to get their after school snack had left about an hour ago. said that if business was slow I could do homework if I wanted to. So I did. I was halfway through my Pre-Calculus homework when I decided to take a little break and think about my first day of school

All at school that day I felt people staring at me. At the new kid, at the cane. I didn't talk to anyone. And if anyone tried talking to me I just either ignored them or insulted them until they left me alone. Something that worked pretty well. Except for one annoying little person. Paul, one of the giants. He enjoyed staring at me. Something that made me a teensy bit uncomfortable. Note the sarcasm there. At lunch I picked a table to myself. Making sure to glare at the table that overflowed with other giants, but of course I smiled at little Embry. But Paul, after punching Embry in the arm after he waved at me, had decided that I needed company.

He sat in front of me, he asked permission of course but I ignored him. Something any normal person would take as a um-hmm. Not this guy. To him it meant 'sure, why not? I would love your company!'. Which it most certainly did not. I ignored him. Focusing more on the food in front of me. I had the munchies so I ate whatever and whatever it was, it was delicious. He did that attention grabbing cough. I ignored him. He made a comment about how I could 'real pack it away'. I looked up. Glared at him. Stole his food then ran off to my next class. Well, limped off. During my class I could hear people talking about the crazy chick with a cane that stole food from one of the guys from the La Push 'Gang'. They thought those fools were a gang! Something which I found hilarious.

I finished my pre-calc homework just as I heard the bell on the front door do its ring that told us someone was coming or leaving. I looked up. It was Embry. I smiled and waved at him. He walked up to the counter and took a seat. He rested his elbows on the counter and placed his head in his hands. He was sitting next to Little Sleepy who was playing around with some crayons and one of those kids menus.

"Hey, pretty boy. Why you so down?" I said trying to sound like those waitress that worked in the old diners in the 60s, in the movies. He looked up at me. I smirked. He came in all the time. I was happy to say me and this kid were friends. He was crushing hard on Giggles. This wasn't really all that wrong. She was about the same age as him. She dropped out of school as soon as she found out she was preggers. She hadn't decided to go back to school. But I've heard her talk about getting her GED. Embry had dropped out of school too, but he had gone back a couple years later. We're both seniors. I leaned against the counter mirroring his stance. I made a funny face at him. He laughed then went back to looking sad.

"What's wrong _mijo_?" I asked. He looked hesitant. As if choosing his words carefully.

"Well, School Girl-" he started.

"Call me Charlie, I don't run with the Kings anymore." I told him. Because it was true, don't run with the Kings no more.

"Okay then, Well, _Charlie_, I wanna go out on a date with Giggles." He said. Poor kid. He had it bad, real bad.

"Then ask her out, _menso!"_ gah! I wanted to smack him.

"I did! But she turned me down! She said, she couldn't go out with me knowing that she still loves Joshua" he said putting as much hate as I've ever heard into Sleepy's name. Then I smacked him in the side of the head.

"What the-! Ow! What was that for? That hurt…" he yelled, rubbing his head. Ouchie. My hand hurts now. He looked surprised. What? Surprised you got hit by a girl?

"For being such a pussy!" I yelled. I looked around quickly. One of the people in the diner was now staring at me. "Sorry, I'm sorry. I'm just helping my friend with some girl troubles" I called back at him. And smiled innocently. He signaled that he understood. "Okay, so here's what you. Tomorrow, okay? Understand? Tomorrow! At about, let's say, at about 4. Explain that you understand, etc, etc, whatever, all that jazz, ask her out again, and let's say to dinner. Okay? Do that." I explained to him.

"But what makes you think she'll say yes this time?" he asked sounding hopeless. So I smacked him again.

"Ow, again?"

"Yes, again. Don't doubt me. Do it, and all shall be well. _Comprendes?_" he nodded. Glad to know someone has been paying attention in Spanish. "Now, I need to go. See you around, okay? Now go on, get out of here." I said. I patted the side of his head lightly, apologizing for hitting him earlier. He walked out and I waved at him as he left.

"Hey, Giggles. Can you cover for me up front, I need to get off early." I yelled through the order window. She was on the other side of the kitchen, doing some dishes. She couldn't hear me talking to Embry, I hope.

"Sure, why?" she asked while wiping the suds of her hands and walking through the doors to the kitchen to join me in the front of the diner. I thought up something quick.

"I need to go to the library and research this paper for my History class. I'll be back later, no worries" I told her.

"Sure, I guess. Don't be too late. Okay?" she told me.

"No, worries." I said. I grabbed my cane and limped my way out the back door. First I needed to call and ask her for a favor. I snickered. Call Ms. Call. Then I needed to head to the hardware store.

000

Ms. Call said yes to my favor. Now I was in the hardware store staring at the selection of spray paints. I already knew what colors I need but this is a small town so I knew there wouldn't be that much. I was growing impatient with staring at the display so I grabbed what I needed, tossed them in a cart and leaned up against it as I walked to the check out. I already had the picture forming in my head.

The picture I had formed in my head earlier now paled in comparison to what I now had spray painted to the side to the diner. I had made sure Giggles was asleep before I had come down her to start my work. I had always been good with a can of spray-paint and an empty wall. But give me a piece of paper and a pencil and whatever it was, would be very horrible. I even had my old art teacher say she gives up when she tried to teach me to draw. Little did she know my true talent was on colorful section of buildings and walls all over the greater Los Angeles area.

I leaned back against a light post that kept flickering and admired my work. My knee was throbbing painfully but for now that would have to wait. Other parts of my body were burning to, I think its maybe because of the cold. Yeah, had to be that. But I had more important things to do. I scrutinized my work. Did the sides match up? How about the people smiling faces? Did I make those as close to the real thing as I could with the limited time I had? I squinted my eyes and focused on one tiny detail. I needed to fix that. I grabbed up the paint stained piece of card board and used it to keep the lines nice edged. I backed up, slowly as not to trip over something stupid and fall. I could feel eyes on me. I glanced to the forest that was not too far away. I knew something, someone, was just beyond the flickering shadows up the streetlamp, watching me.

It was perfect. Giggles would love it. And hopefully it was finally convince her to give poor little Embry a chance. Little Sleepy already got along with him well. He'd started talking a while back and has even gone so far as to actually call Embry 'Daddy'. Embry always looked overjoyed. While Giggles would always look so very sad. No doubt thinking about his real daddy. Poor kid.

"Okay, no peeking, okay?" I said as I was trying to lead Giggles down the stairs. She took them pulled the blindfold off that had struggled so hard to put on her.

"Okay, I understand that this is important, but can I please walk down the stairs with the ability to see? It's not that I don't trust you it's just I don't want to fall don't the stairs and break my neck." She begged. I flung the hand that I had on her shoulder away. In mock anger.

"_Chinga!_ Whatever, _esa, _do whatever you have to do to not die. Just meet me out back, okay?" I said and slid down the banister with my cane in my lap. I righted myself on the ground floor and limped my way through the back door. The kitchen was empty because it was still early and we don't have to start getting ready for another hour. It was chilly outside. I leaned against the wall next to the door and wrapped the thin coat I had tighter around me. God winter sucks. I still haven't had the chance to play in the snow. Giggles opened the door outside and looked at me. She was questioning me. I knew it. She hadn't seen the wall yet; I put myself beside her and turned her shoulders so she faced the woods, with her back to the wall.

"Okay, stay there." I limped over and leaned against the same lamppost as last night. "Okay, now turn around" I watched her face, looking for a reaction. When she first turned around she looked annoyed. No doubt with me. When she got a look at the wall though…her face kinda just froze that way. The annoyed look melted away. She looked at the picture with a blank face.

It was a picture of Sleepy, looking just the way he had when I last saw him, with his army uniform, black beret, and tan combat boots. Cradled in his arms was Little Joshua as he looked today. I remembered back when we first heard the news of Joshua's death, Giggles had gone into labor. _Claudia_ had gone into labor. I was there when she first held the baby. She was crying and repeating over and over that 'daddy never got to hold you, baby'. So I had decided to make it happen. Well as best as I could without resurrecting the dead. And possible starting the end of the world as we know it be ushering in the zombie apocalypse.

Claudia started to sob hysterically. I heard a rustle from the woods behind me. I glanced at it. It rustled again and then nothing. I went over to her and hugged her. Crap, I didn't mean to make her cry.

"I'm sorry, I didn't- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry. I thought it would make you happy." I said. Damn, I messed up bad. She continued crying and I held her. We leaned against each other. My cane fell to the ground and we sank to the ground with it. We sat against each other. She continued to cry. Her sobbed slowed down and now she was just sniffling ever now and then. She was still staring at the picture.

"I'm sorry, really, really sorry. I thought you'd be happy. I didn't mean to make you sad" I said guiltily. I hung my head and stared at my crossed legs.

"_Ay_, _mija_ I'm not crying because I'm sad. I'm crying because- oh Charlie! I love you,_ chiflada!_" she said. I looked at her surprised.

"So, you like it?" she nodded. I smiled. "See? Now Joshua's holding the kid. You 'member? When Little Sleepy was born, you said 'Daddy never got to hold you'. And _mira_ now he gets to hold him forever." I said smiling my shit eater smile.

"Y'know, I know someone who really likes you" I told her reverting back to the school yard. She looked at me and raised an eyebrow.

"Embry?"

"Ye-what? How'd you know?" I asked.

"It's pretty obvious, but, y'know I loved Joshua" she said. I noticed the fact that she used 'loved'. Past tense. Please let that be the truth and not and accidental slip.

"I know. And I know you know that Embry really has it bad for you. And I know you know that Sleepy would want you to be happy. And he knows you love him. But, _you_ know that you need to move on. All of us loved him. Not as much as you. It looked like you guys would be forever. But apparently fate's a bitch and changed things. But that doesn't mean you still don't deserve the same happiness you had with him." I said. She looked like she would start crying again. I hugged her tightly. We leaned against each other some more. We both gazed at the picture again.

"But wait. Why is there so much empty space around Sleepy?" she questioned. I had the answer.

"Simple, because Joshua and the kid are the 'could have been'. The space around it, it's for the future. The 'will be's. It's empty because it's the future, I don't know what'll happen. But when it does, it'll go up on the wall. But until then, I guess we just have to deal with the fact that we don't know what'll happen."I heard footsteps and I looked over to where they were coming from. I looked and saw two giants. Focused more and saw it was Embry and Paul. Embry I was okay with but _Paul_. I dunno something about him; it just gave me this vibe. They walked up to us and just kinda looked down at us.

"Way to ruin a moment, _pendejo._" I said glaring only at Paul. He glared right back, but I saw something else in those eyes. Why? He held out his hand to help me up from the ground. I took it and was actually kinda thankful. It's hard to get up all the way from the ground. I leaned against my cane and watched as Embry helped Giggles up. I watched the exchange they shared. They were blushing. I smiled. I felt Paul put an overheated arm around. I shrugged it off and walked side by side with Giggles back into the store.

I watched the reflection in one of the windows as Paul slowly felt his arm drop to his side then see him start shaking. Embry said a couple things, that I couldn't hear but I could see his lips move. He stopped his shaking a little bit then they followed us inside. It was time to open up the diner. I felt kinda bad for the guy. I just, didn't want to get close to someone in that way. Not since Spooky. But Paul did ruin a perfect moment.

**Translations:**

**Hijo de puta – son of a bitch**

**Cabron- bastard **

**Chiflada – brat**

**Duermate – Sleep**

**Mijo- my son **

**Menso- stupid**

**Comprenes?- You understand?**

**Chinga- fuck **

**Ese/esa- dude. **

**Mira- look **

**Pendejo- jackass **

**And just so you know, sorry if my translations aren't correct. But this is the Spanish we use in my household so it might not be the same if you googled it. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3**

_I was running. I wasn't running from something. Nor was I running away from something. I was just running. Before the shooting I always used to like running. I miss it. I remember being able to run so fast around the dirt track at school that I feel if I jumped up I could fly, up and away from everything._

_But now, I can't run. It hurts; just too damn much too even try. Then I stopped just running. I was running away now. I could feel someone behind me. Closing in. I couldn't see them. But I knew they were there. I wish I could run a little faster. _

_Then, it started hurting. I had my cane again. And I was trying to run with it. I tripped and fell. It was coming. It had me. I tried crawling away. Dragging my leg behind me. It had me. Whatever it was, it had me I tried screaming but couldn't. I looked and saw what had me, what I had been running from. It was Spooky._

I woke startled. I had bolted up and sat straight up on the couch. I was breathing hard. As if I had actually been running hard. I looked around. The clock said it was about noon. It was Saturday and I guess Giggles had left already to do something with Embry. Ever since I painted the two Sleepys up on the wall they had been together almost nonstop. Now they both had it, had it real bad. I got up from the couch and walked over to the kitchen to get something to drink. I had been dreaming a lot lately. Some were good. Like the ones where I was snuggling up to some faceless man and just happy with how I was. And some were bad. Like the shooting, or this most recent run. With me running.

I grabbed a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water from the sink. I leaned against the counter than pulled myself up to sit on it. From where I was sitting I could get a good view of my 'bed'. Lying on the coffee table that was next to my couch was my cane. I stared at it wide eyed. I hadn't used it to walk from the couch to the kitchen. I wanted to scream. My knee had been burning bad for about a week now. I thought it was just something about the weather. But I guess, that I, I guess I'd actually been healing. I stared at the cane a little more.

It was too good to be true. I knew it had to be. Maybe I was just running on adrenaline from the after effects of my dream. I lowered my feet slowly to the floor. I tested my weight on both knees. I stared at my bad knee. Even the scar seemed to have faded. I took a step. Felt no pain. Then I took another. I expected for all the pain to rush to me but it didn't. I took a couple more steps. Which brought me to the door. I tested my step once more. Then, I flung open the door and started running. I ran down the stairs, through the kitchen and out the doors into the café. I ran through the diner and out the front doors, not hesitating even when I heard someone call after me.

I must have looked like a psycho running down the streets with no shoes on and nothing but a simple pair of boxer shorts, a tank top, and then an oversized sweatshirt that hung of one of my shoulders. It fell all the way down to my mid thigh and the sleeves were way to long on my. But right now I didn't care. I could feel the wind blowing through my hair and I felt the familiar sensation of flying. I really didn't know what to do with my new found ability to walk, to run, but I kept going. I stopped for a while, and rested my hands on my knees, breathing hard. Almost on instinct, I didn't really feel the need to breath all that hard. I remembered how I heard Embry tell stories about how when it was warmer him and his friends would go cliff diving. Cliff diving sounded fun right about now. It wasn't _that _cold out.

I started running again. This time towards the cliffs. I wanted to do this. I really did. I hadn't been able to run in a long time, or swim in even longer. The water might be cold. But I don't care. I need to do this. I need to do it right now. I didn't know how long I had been running and I simply didn't care until I made my way towards the edge of the cliff. I could see how about a hundred yards in front of me the cliff abruptly ended. I sprinted towards the edge. There was no turning back now. I made it to the edge and pushed off hard with all my might and pointed my body perpendicular to the water. I ignored yet another yell form behind me. This yell sounded like it came from a guy.

I enjoyed the brief moments of free falling until I saw the ocean rush up to meet me. I took a long deep breath and felt my body plunge into the water. For it still being winter the water really isn't that cold. I swam down deep. Testing myself to see how long I could stay. I pushed hard until I felt something hot and burning grab hold of me from behind. I turned abruptly to see none other than Paul staring at me with concerned eyes. I glared at him and was tempted to yell but didn't since I was underwater and didn't want to waste my air. He held me close and stared swimming towards the surface with me in tow. He held me by one of my arms.

I struggled to get myself away from his grip and swam down more. Further away from him. I needed to just stay here and relax for a moment, okay? Then you can play prince and rescue me. Paul tried to catch up with me but I again pulled myself away from him. It was an underwater game of cat and mouse. But finally he must have run out of air because he returned to the surface. While he was gone I took this opportunity to get away from him. I swam as hard and as fast as I could then stopped. I waited, just floating there. I was expecting the feeling of breathlessness to come soon. I don't know how long I'd been underwater but I knew it was long enough for Paul to need to leave me and take a breath. Why had he followed me here?

I floated there for a little while longer trying to push the limits I didn't seem to have. How long had I been down here? 2 minutes? 5? 10? I still hadn't felt my body running out of air. Was there something wrong with me? Is that why I didn't feel the need to come up for air yet? I had grown board of hiding out in my underwater lair so I swam up to the surface. As soon as my head breached the water my ears were assaulted by the sounds of yelling. I looked to the beach and saw a whole pack of people jumping around, screaming at me. I swam towards the shore. I tried taking my time but apparently that wasn't slow enough because eventually I had made it to so I could feel sand under my feet. I pulled myself up from the pull of the waves and found myself on dry land. I expected pain to come. A lot of it. But it didn't. I smiled widely. And walked, without a limp. Paul ran up to me and grabbed me up in his arms. I wasn't all that cold so right now, I was too happy that I could walk normally to care what the hell happened to me at this moment.

"Beautiful day don't you think?" I remarked. Paul looked down at me. He didn't look to happy. Wonder why.

"_Porque ton serio?" _I said to him still smiling. He looked a little bit happier. His arms burned wherever they touched me. I jumped down and started running again. I ran past a crowd of people and kept going. I kept running, until I was tackled. As soon as I was tackled I was assaulted by the smell of wet dog. I wrinkled my nose in disgust. It's touching me. It's touching me. Why is it touching me? My mind flashed to the dream I had woken up to this morning. Spooky? Did you find me? I struggled to get away from whatever had me. I really did. But it held me down. I tried harder. Then, I growled. I don't know why, I don't know how. But I did. I _growled_. I mean, who the fuck growls? The thing struggling to keep me from running away froze. It was a girl. The girl that I saw once upon a time that I thought I would get along with. The angry one. I was feeling playful. Still giddy, because, hey, I can fucking walk now! I slipped from her grip and stood up. Everyone was staring at me. I could feel it. Why though? I didn't have the cane. Was it the growling? All the guys were standing protectively in front of their girls.

"Um…what did I do?" I asked. No one answered. Although, Paul took a monstrous step forward. I stood right in front of me and reached a hand out. I flinched right out of his reach, but he kept coming. He placed a hand protectively on my shoulder. I was soaking wet. The wind blew hard. I didn't even shiver. He ran a finger on the spot on my neck that was extra sensitive. I gasped. My scar. I reached a hand around my neck, hoping to feel the familiar scarf. But I felt nothing but skin. He saw my scar. Oh crap. They all see it. Paul stared at it.

"You-You've been bitten" he said sadly.

"Yeah, so? You sound straight out of a zombie movie. So what if my ex had a biting fetish?" why was I making excuses to this guy? He started doing that shaking thing again. "Now, if you'll excuse me. But, I can run. I can walk, I can swim! For Christ's sake, I can run! And I'm gunna enjoy it, because I don't know if it'll last forever. Bye" I said and started running. I didn't even really look where I was running I just ran. I took a quick glance back and everyone pretty much just stared at me. I pushed myself hard. I went faster, faster than I ever thought I could go. So fast that I could see the trees and stuff stared to blur past me. There was still snow on the ground, but I couldn't feel the cold even with bare feet. I guess my socks had worn away, gross. I let my mind wander, my thoughts moving faster than my feet.

I can run. I can run. Run. Run. Run. This is Charlie. See Charlie run. Go Charlie Go! I smiled widely. But then some not so nice thoughts creeped up behind me. I wonder where Spooky is. Why did he say 'I'll see you in three days'? Those three days had long since gone and I was still worrying that I would see him behind every corner. I expected to see him every time I woke up. See him every time I stepped outside. Every time I opened my eyes, I expected him to be there. But he wasn't. Did he forget about me? Which would be good. But I felt that that wasn't it. What if he was looking for me? But he just didn't know where to look. What if he knew where I was and was just sitting back and watching me? Did he want me to get all nice in comfortable with life in La Push then just swoop in and ruin everything?

I had been too busy dealing with my paranoia that I didn't notice where I was really going. I slowed to a stop and looked around. I had stopped in a clearing. That was covered in untouched snow. I started smiling like a little kid, now I would finally get to play in the snow! I bent down and grabbed a handful of snow. I explored the feel it had in my hand. I always expected snow to be, well, cold. But this really wasn't all that cold. It felt more like someone had left some leftover Chinese out for too long, not like it was actually frozen. I molded it into a ball and then added some more snow. I continued doing this until I got a round ball about the height of my knees. I made to more balls of varying sizes and stacked them on top of the large one.

I could feel eyes on me again. But as soon as I felt them, they were gone. So I paid it no mind. I continued on, building it better. I placed a hand on my hip and surveyed my work. It was missing something. I remember in all those books and pictures I had seen snowmen with weird top hats, and carrots for noses. And some weird stuff stuck to the face for eyes and mouth. I wish I had bought some of that crap with me, so I could make it perfect. I looked at it sadly then threw myself backwards into some snow. I started moving my arms and legs back and forth across the snow. Enjoying the slight chill it brought me. I smiled, enjoying these subtle moments every child should have. I never got to enjoy things like that.

Everything had been normal, there were nine people living in our apartment. I shared a mattress with my cousins. And then my mom got sick. Then my dad expanded is operation to try and make more money for her treatments. Then his money stopped going for her treatments. Then went to feed his new found addiction to nose candy. Another reason I hated the shit. Then came his incident with the cops. He went away after that. And the landlord kicked the rest of the family out because apparently since the lease holders were no longer present in the household he couldn't let us stay there. Which I thought was bull. The family went to Chicago; I guess they heard it was good up there. Which left me all alone in Echo Park. I didn't want to leave; I had my dad's operation to take over.

I heard the snow crunching from some ways away. I sat up from my recently made snow angel. I looked around, expecting the worst. I kept hearing the snow crunch. The wind blew and my nose wrinkled. I could smell that wet dog smell again. Except it was different this time. It was a little woodsier, kinda nicer. I remember, I always hate it when people where too much cologne. But this smelled nice. I turned towards the smell and saw something making its way towards me. It looked like a person, as it got closer I saw that it was Paul. This guy just doesn't give up, does he? He was holding a bag. It seemed pretty full of stuff. I rushed up to meet him, and cocked my head to one side. He seemed surprised to see me, I guess I had made it over to him pretty quick, I must'a startled him.

"What'cha got there?" I said gesturing for the bag he held in his hand. He looked at it surprised, like he had forgotten he had it.

"Oh, um…just some stuff for your snowman." He said. I lit up. I would get the perfect snowman! I grabbed the bag and ran over to stand in front of the snowman. I went through the bag and pulled out a carrot. I stuck it smack dab in the middle of the smallest ball of snow. I felt the heat radiating off Paul as he stood next to me. I looked up at him, damn he was tall.

"Wanna help?" I asked, childishly I might add. I smiled at him. He smiled back. I grabbed some more stuff from the bag and hand him a little baggy full of coffee beans. He started applying the trademark snow man smile and eyes. I placed the scarf around its neck and set a nice wool cap on its head. Paul had finished with the smile and I stood back. I still feel like something is missing. It had no arms! I ran over to the nearest tree and pulled two empty branches off it. I placed them gently in the sides of the snowman and admired my work. Well, mine and Paul's work.

"Y'know, this is the first snowman I ever made. It's the first time I ever got to play in the snow, too." I said. He kept smiling like a fool. The wind blew again. And once again I smelt the wet dog, deep down in my chest I felt something, some primal instinct trying to kick in. I pushed it down and smiled along with him. I felt like relaxing so I plopped down in the snow and looked up at Paul. I blinked up at him innocently.

"Take a seat, stranger" I said to him. Which he did. He sat right down next to me, and this time I didn't really mind when he put his arm around me.

"Charlie, please don't ever do something like that again." he said out of the blue.

"Do what?" he gaped at me when I said that. I think I knew what he was talking about.

"Please, don't _ever_ try and hurt yourself like that." He said, stressing ever. He sounded a little angry. Damn, he's weird.

"You think I was trying to hurt myself?" I said. I stood back up and glared down at him. "No fucking way in hell! I'm not a fucking coward! That shit is the easy way out. Nothing, and I mean _nothing_ is so bad that killing yourself is the answer. People who do that kinda shit are cowards!" I yelled. Pacing around doing wild hand gestures. Got that just pisses me off. Suicide! Really? I saw how much that shit hurt people. This girl in my gang had offed herself. W e called her 'Lady Joker'. I was never her biggest fan but when she died it tore a hole in all of us. Especially her parents. She had her parents, and she did that to them! I 'member her note to. All it had said was 'I love him'. Nobody knew who the 'him' was. She never told us anything about a guy. But whoever he was, I hope he was dyeing inside because of what he caused.

"If you weren't trying to kill yourself, then what the fuck were you trying to do!" he yelled, also getting up from the ground. I took a couple of deep breathes. This day has made me go from extreme happiness to hopeless anger.

"You don't understand do you?" I asked. He looked about to answer but I held my hand up to stop him. "Have you ever lost something, something that you didn't really ever even think about? Have you ever lived your life normally and then have something taken away? Something when it was gone you felt so empty because you never even thought of being without it. And then you go so long without it thinking 'oh this is just something I'm gunna haf'tah deal with now' and then all of sudden, without warning, you get it back. Do you know the feeling again every time I take a step, or whenever I feel the wind blow through my hair? That wondrous feeling that you feel if you lose it again you just might curl up and die. Do you know how that feels?" I said, coming close to tears. It was true. Everything I had just said was true. I heard him mumble something.

"Excuse, me? I didn't hear that. Do you know how it feels, or not?" I ground out.

"_I said_, yes. I know how it feels to have your heart break every time you don't have something. And then see it again only to have it leave again. I know. Okay?" He said. I must say, didn't really expect that.

"Well, then. You of all people should understand." I finished and then stalked off in the direction I had come from. Following my tracks in the snow to get to where I needed to go. I took off running again, but this time my joy felt bittersweet.

**Translations, just one this time:**

**Porque ton serio?- why so serious?**

**Come on! Review please. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 4**

It was dark out. Not to dark. But dark, the sky had decided to clear up tonight giving me a nice view of the stars. I looked at the too empty wall in front of me. Besides the picture of Joshua and Little Sleepy, it was empty. I needed to add more to it. It hadn't been that long, but I felt that some of what had happened deserved to be up on the wall. I gazed up at the stars and wondered if my mom was looking down on me from up there.

"Are you proud of me mom? Did I turn out the way you wanted? I'm almost done with school. And I finally got out of the _Parque_. Me and Giggles have started a life for ourselves here. Is Sleepy up there with you? If so tell him, tell him we miss him. And not to be too mad at Giggles. She has it bad for Embry now. Real bad. I miss you mom. I'm sorry." I told the stars. Hoping that my message would somehow get where it needs to go.

I lifted up a can of spray paint and got to work on my latest idea. I was running. In the picture. The cliff was looming in front of me. There was a crowd of faceless people behind me. But some people actually had discernable features. Like Embry with his nonconforming buzz cut, and Giggles holding the baby, Paul was there to. But you couldn't really tell it was him. Well except for the interesting beaded necklace he had around his neck. Even though it was beaded it was still manly.

Another little snapshot was of Giggles, Embry, and the baby sitting at the counter in diner. They were all smiling, and generally just looking all happy. I even managed to capture the look Embry is always giving Giggles. Giggles had her 'Gigglesness' back. She was happy, smiling, and dare I even think it, in love. I do believe my friend was in love. The last and final snapshot of the night was me building my first snowman. Well me and Paul pimping out my snowman.

I glanced at my watch when I was finally finished. It had taken me a long time to do these, I'd even messed up a couple times, but I'd fixed it. Oh crap! I'm late for fourth period! But wait, I only have seven classes a day. So the day was mostly over. I don't really _need_ to go to school today. Looks like today's a ditch day. Because every now and then, you just need to not do what you should do. That made sense right? Whatever. I'm starving. Time for breakfast, and lunch, and maybe an afternoon snack. I made my way through the diner and sat at the counter. Giggles was working behind the counter today.

"Hey, aren't you s'posed to be-" she stopped herself. "You know what, never mind."

"What? Every now and then you need a vacation." I reasoned. It was true. I guess. I laid my head out on the counter. "I stayed up all night adding more to the wall. I'm sleepy. Can I have some coffee? And a burger. A nice big one. I'm starved." I said. She rolled her eyes and gave my order to Jules, the cook. A nice man. He lost his arm in the war. Which war, I don't know. Nor do I really want to ask. But he has this nice hook as a replacement arm. It's pretty hard core. And he cooks a mean plate of eggs. Claudia set my food down in front of me.

"You know, since you're giving yourself a day off of school, why not take a shift here to pass the time you could've spent learning?" I groaned.

"Let me at least finish my food, please?" I begged. She nodded then went to take the give a check to someone off in the diner. I stared at the hamburger I front of me. Damn, did it look delicious. I grabbed it in my hands and rotated it around so I could find the perfect spot to take the first bite. I heard the bell and a gust of wind brought a familiar smell of wet dog and the forest. Paul. I smiled a little. Despite how we first met, I was actually starting to like him. I still didn't like Sam. He sat down next to me and tapped me on the shoulder. I whimpered and stared longingly at my burger. I set it down and swiveled in my seat to face him.

"How's you doing today?" I asked.

"Where were you today?" he asked.

"It's rude to answer a question with a question, y'know" I said and turned back to my burger, trying to hurry to take a bite before I could be bothered again.

"I'm fine. Now, where were you today?" he repeated. I groaned loudly. I gently placed my burger down again. At this rate I would never get to taste my delicious burger.

"Well, Mr. Nosy. I was adding more to the wall. And now I'm trying to eat my lunch. How come you ain't in school, huh?" screw it; I'm eating my burger while he answers. I opened my mouth preparing to take a bite.

"I was worried about you. Plus, Seth kept annoying me to find out where you were." He tacked that other sentence on hurriedly. Mh-hhhm. Sure, Seth was bothering him. But I like Seth, so I don't mind. He's a real sweet kid. And yes, I call him kid too. But he is a kid. He's only a sophomore. Just a kid. I stared chowing down on my burger. I glared at him when he looked like he would start to say something. When I was finished I started getting up. I reached for my cane, only to find it not there. I guess it was a habit. And being without it was, just weird. I walked around the counter and leaned down to grab my apron. It already had the little note pad and pen in one of the pockets. I leaned on the counter in front of Paul, who had watched me do all this.

"Now, what can I get for you today, handsome?" I asked him. Pen poised at the ready.

"Uh, I'll have a burger with all the fixings, and a plate of Jules' famous scrambled eggs."

"Sure thing, Mr. Bottomless-Pit"

"What? I go from Handsome to Bottomless-Pit in less than a minute? What's that about?"

"Okay then, Sure thing Mr. _Handsome_ Bottomless-pit. Good enough for yah?" I joked. I gave his order to Jules and leaned against the counter. I saw Paul staring at something. I followed his eyes and noticed he had been staring at the cleavage I had been unknowingly showing off. I blushed and then hurried to give him his food, tempted to yell at him to take a picture but that would probably just cause some perverted problems. The bell rang again and I went to take the new customers orders. I walked over to the booth they had just sat in. It was another of the giants. Jake, I think. And he was with a girl. She had reddish hair and these weirdly colored eyes, and generally looked adorable. She was very pale, even for a _gringa_. I took their order, and of course the giant ordered enough food for three people. I think it's something in the water here. I made sure to smile at the girl, that niceness crap always gets me better tips.

I walked back to the counter and made sure I sat so that I didn't unknowingly show off any assets. The bell rang again, I looked up and saw that Seth had burst through the door and was talking quickly to Jacob. The poor girl that was with him looked very surprised. Jacob stood up, I couldn't really hear what they were saying and he told the girl he'd be back. He yelled for Paul to come quickly. He looked panicky. Paul looked very conflicted about having to leave. I wonder why they had to leave so quickly so often. I dunno, maybe an emergency or something. _Go_ I gestured with a hand. And he shot off. The girl looked so lonely. I yelled for Jules to cancel most of the food, except for the food the girl ordered. When her order came up I placed it on her table then joined her.

"Hey, I'm Charlie." I said and stuck my hand out. She shook it hesitantly.

"Renesmee" she said, just above a whisper. Weird name.

"Sorry, about the boys. They seem to do that a lot." I said. Referring to the random disappearing.

"Oh, I know. It's a wolf thing. Are you one of the imprints? I've only met Emily and Kim. Are you with Paul?" she said. She seemed nice. But wait. Wolf thing? Imprints? …the fuck, man?

"What? What wolf thing? What the hell is an imprint?" I said. She got wide eyed.

"Um, werewolves. Shape shifters? And soul mates and stuff. You know the tribal legends." I stared at her. What the fuck was she talking about? What was she smoking?

"Umm… Oh, crap. I'm sorry I didn't know that you didn't know. Oh god, Jake is so going to kill Me." she said and put her head in her hands. She just kept repeating, the words 'oh no' and 'crap' a lot. This chick was tripping. But then, I had heard the legends from Sleepy, before. It sounded a lot like what this girl was talking about. That crap can't be true; she must be on acid or sumin. But then, it kinda makes sense. The weird growling they do every now and then, the weird wet dog smell, the constant leaving. Could they all be going out to fight the 'cold ones'? I got up from the booth, my mind was spinning. I must be just a little trippy from the spray paint fumes. I looked around the diner. I didn't see Giggles she must be in the back helping Jules. I ran my hand through my hair and pulled the little apron off me and onto the table.

I yelled towards the kitchen that I was going to take a break. My voice kind of cracked. I walked calmly out of the diner with my mind still reeling. I heard a great noise. It sounded like thunder but the clouds didn't look all that dark today. I followed the smell of wet dog into the forest. I walked a little while before I came across a clearing. And what I saw made me think someone had slipped some acid into me somehow. I saw a wolf. Three wolves. Three giant fucking wolves. And a man. A pale looking man that the giant animals were growling at. Its real isn't it? The legends. Are real. But that's impossible! But it all made sense. Complete and perfect sense. Imprinting, that's why Sleepy was always so overprotective of Claudia. And Embry. Did Embry imprint on her too? I heard someone yell my name and saw that Paul was now running towards me. And one of the wolves was gone. Wasn't that a coincidence? I ran my hand through my hair again. Not possible.

"Ah, School girl. We meet again. I must say. Surprising to see you again, alive" a voice said. I knew that voice. Spooky. He was here! He had finally come back for me! I felt the fear spike through me. My eyes widened and my body froze. All from just hearing his voice. Then he stood in front of me. I felt myself shaking in fear. Bad vibe! Really bad vibe.

"Spuh-Spooky. Long time no see." I said, trying to hide my feelings of fear behind an air of nonchalance.

"Well, yes. Don't tell me that you're with these mutts" he said and made a face at Paul and the other wolves. Paul ran and tackled him. And he exploded into a giant wolf. Right. In. Front. Of. Me. my eye twitched twice. A sure sign that I was about to freak.

Spooky was here. Spooky, he's come back to finish the job. I stumbled backwards. And fell against a tree. Paul turned his attention back to me. He looked torn between continuing to beat the shit out Spooky and coming over to me. Spooky took this little moment of hesitation to move quicker than my eyes could catch. He was in front of me, leaned in and whispered something in my ear. Something that made my blood run cold. Oh how I wish this was nothing but a dream, a bad trip. Please god please! Then he ran. He was gone as soon as I had gathered that he was in front of me. _I'll be back_. His words ran around in my mind. He would be back. And I knew it. I needed to get out of here. And now!

"Go after him!" Paul screamed at the two other wolves. Who I could only assume to be Jacob and Seth. Poor little Seth. I tried to stand up but, I couldn't, I was in shock. I closed my eyes. Okay now. Next time I open them I'll be in my room and this will have all been a dream.

000

Except it wasn't a dream. It had all been real. I was sitting in the same house me and Giggles had first been in when we first got here. I think we were even in the same seats. Paul was sitting next to me and Embry was sitting next to Giggles with the baby in his lap. Except Little Joshua wasn't much of a baby anymore. He was two, and you could already tell he would be a heartbreaker. Would he be like the others? Like Sleepy? Like Paul? Like Embry, Seth, and Sam? I was sitting as far away from anyone as I could. Hard since I was near the middle of the couch. I had my hands clutching each other in my lap. My eyes were on my lap. What had happened was still fresh in my mind. Wolves, giant wolves. And Spooky. Spooky was back.

"Giggles?" I asked. And suddenly all talking in the room ceased. I had not spoken a word since I had been in the diner. Everyone turned to look at me. Everyone was here. Sam, Emily, Paul, Jared, Kim, Embry, Giggles, Quil, Jacob, Leah, Brady, Collin, and Seth. And all of their eyes were watching me. I bet they expected me to blow up. To freak out, start screaming and run away. And believe me, I expected myself to do that. But I knew that Spooky was still out there. Probably as soon as I stepped outside that door, he would be there to get me. He'll kill me. And right now, I really didn't want to die.

"Did you know, about Sleepy, did you know?" I asked her. Staring right into her eyes.

"Yes. I knew." She said looking ashamed.

"Then why didn't you tell me? Didn't you trust me enough? We've known each other since we were kids. How could you not tell me?" I said, tears welling up. I was starting to lose it. This was just too much for one day.

"I wanted to I really did! But, I couldn't. He told me I couldn't tell anyone!"

"But you said yourself, I'm your family, you couldn't tell family?" I said, the tears actually starting to fall. "And you!" I said turning my attention to Embry. "You didn't tell me either!" he looked at me exasperated.

"I couldn't. Only the pack member who has imprinted on you can tell you that they imprinted on you. That's the only way it is for you to find out." He said.

"But no one imprinted on me! So I was supposed to just sit around forever, wondering what the hell all y'alls problems are?" I yelled at him. This wasn't his fault, and I knew that. I hung my head. God my head hurts. Well, not hurting but pounding loudly. Like if you'd gotten water up your nose and it had gone all the way to your brain. This was all getting a bit too much. I rested my forehead on my knees and closed my eyes. I felt a hot hand on my shoulder. I looked slowly looked up at Paul.

"Come with me." he said. He got up and pulled me along with him. I just went with it. He pulled me away from everyone and through the backdoor. He took to leaning against the wall. I leaned against it to, and then I slid down and brought my knees up to my chest. He took a seat next to me and put one of his oversized hot arms around my waist and pulled me close. I let him.

"You were wrong. In there, about being imprinted on." I stared at him. I never liked to be told I was wrong. But for this instance I would swallow my pride and let him explain.

"Oh, really?" I said. All these revelations today were making me very tired. I hung my head again and just waited.

"You were imprinted on." He said. I started to drift to sleep. He better hurry up. "You see, it was…um, well. I imprinted on you."

"_That's nice…_" I said and fell asleep.

**Ugh, now I'm off to swallow a handful of ibuprofen. I'm going through one of my many, and incredibly painful growth spurts which shoots me up an inch or so each time. You'd think that being 5 foot 7 that my body would decide that was enough. But nooooo. I swear to god, if I make it to my dad's 6ft I will personally cut off my own shin bones. Girls aren't supposed to be tall! I'm already taller than the majority of my friends and boyfriends. And let me tell you, being taller than your boo is aaaawkwaard. *groans* Review, please. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks for the awesomely nice reviews! Read and Enjoy. **

**Chapter 5**

"She fell asleep? Seriously? Oh my god, hilarious!" I heard a voice yell. Hey! I'm trying to sleep. I groaned, loud. And they stopped talking. Thank you. I snuggled deep into a nice warm blanket.

"Hey! Come on! Now that you know I wanna play around!" the voice said again. I'm. not. Happy. I wanna sleep! My eyes snapped open. And I glared at the person who was practically yelled in my ear. It was Seth, and right behind him was the two twins, Collin and Brady. Or 'thing 1' and 'thing 2' as I so justly nicknamed them.

"Can I help you, mutt?" I said. Already deciding on a new nickname for every one of the giants. He stared at me wide eyed. "What, puppy never seen and angry not-so-morning-person?"

"But, _Chaaaarlieeeee._" He whined. "I'm bored! And everyone else went out to look for that weirdo vampire for you. We were left here to keep you safe!" he said triumphantly.

"But wait. If I understand the whole imprinting thing correctly, wouldn't Paul be dying to stay with me?" not that it really mattered. I don't think the whole imprinting thing is all that right. Yeah, suuure you think that. Shut up.

"Well, duuuh! But Sam ordered him to go. Yoooou knooow. Because he's one of the oldest they need him to help find the guy. Speaking of pancakes, can you cook us some? Pleeease?" he said. And then he and the twins both went into puppy-dog faces. How fitting. I groaned again then tossed my nice warm blanket to the side. I lifted myself up from the couch and noticed I was some place unfamiliar.

"Hey, where the hell am I?" I asked to no one in particular.

"Well, you're at the Cullen's house duuuh!" all three said in unison. Because that wasn't creepy as hell. Only thing that would make it any creepier was if they were Gingers. I shuddered at the thought.

"Who the hell are the Cullens?" I asked. I think I've heard there name before, but I'm not that sure.

"Oh, yeah. You don't know them do you. They're a coven of vampires that live in Forks. But don't worry, they don't eat people. And they're really nice. Especially Esme. She cooks almost as good as Emily." Seth chimed. Oh, that's nice.

"Where are they? By the way. Emily, and the other imprints. And the Cullens. Where are they?" I asked. With my eyebrow raised.

"Oh, well all the imprints are on the Rez. They got wolves patrolling all around the Rez. And the Cullens are out helping them look for the bad vamp." He said. But then…

"But why am I separate from the other imprints?" I said and cocked my head to the side. All three of them looked like they had done something bad.

"Um…no reason" said Thing 1. I glared.

"Tell me. Now. Or I'm not making you food. Ever" I said. Knowing how much these guys loved food. And the threat of not getting any was almost torture. He all looked at each other. My guess is trying to figure out whether they should tell me or not.

"Well, you're here, and not with the others because…well-" one of the twins started.

"-because they thought that with the guy after you, that they didn't want to put the rest of the imprints in danger. But, if you think about it, it does make sense." Seth finished. He looked so sad. And I felt sad. And angry. But he was right. It did make sense. They had to protect their own. And I wasn't their own.

"Even Claudia?" I asked. Grasping for some little glimmer of hope. He nodded solemnly. I sighed. My best friend, my sister. And I was away from her because I was some danger. I shrugged my shoulders and hung my head. I guess I'll go make these boys pancakes now.

"Okay, so where's the kitchen."

000

Oh. My. God. This kitchen. Was. Fucking. Huge! I just stared at it for a little while. I just gaped at it. Until I felt someone nudge me. I glared back at Seth and his two cronies.

"Don't rush me." I stated. I spent some time getting to know the kitchen. I wasn't all that good of a cook. I mean I've set my fair share of stoves on fire, but I was good enough to make some simple pancakes. I looked around for some pancake mix and found a whole cupboard full of the stuff. I guess these guys were over here quite often looking for some pancakes. I grabbed a couple of boxes of the stuff. Whatever these guys didn't eat I guess I could save for the rest of the dogs. I started fixing them their food when a couple of questions came to mind.

"So…you guys, you don't have imprints?" I asked. I guess I struck a chord with Seth, cuz he kinda flinched.

"Nah, not yet." Seth said. While Collin and Brady talked of being too much of 'players' to get caught up in that. I rolled my eyes at them and shrugged. As soon as one pancake was done they would fight over it until someone finally either licked it, or stuffed it in their mouth.

"Hey!" I yelled. "Ya'll calm down. Stop! Now, Sit!" They complied. "Good doggies." I said and gave them each a pancake which they scarfed down greedily. I put three plates in front of them. I placed a pancake on one of the plates. They went to reach for it but I scolded them and told them to wait until they all had some. Because, sharing is caring. I waited until I had stacked about a foots height in front of them, when the look in their eyes got too much to bear I let them eat.

"Go ahead" I said and they made all of the pancakes disappear in a short amount of time. I turned back to the stove to make myself some.

000

_Hmmmm hm-hmm-hmmmmm. Hmmmm-hm-hm. Hm. Hmmmm-hm-hm._ I hummed. I was bored. Not just god this math teacher's voice puts me to sleep kinda bored. But the bored like I've been stuck in some Richie-rich house with supernatural creatures for way to long. I hadn't been able to leave the house in three weeks. Three whole weeks. And I was going crazy here! I swear I had already gained ten pounds with all the food they've been trying to stuff down my throat. Not I really complained, for people who don't eat they sure do cook up some good food. I was missing so much school work. The boys would go to school and get my work for me. Apparently I had pneumonia.

But still. I haven't seen anyone in these past three weeks besides Seth, Collin, Brady, Jacob, Giggles would come visit with the kid and Embry, not often because apparently Sam had a stick up his ass about any and all imprints beside me being around the Cullens. Ass. Paul, of course was there nearly around the clock, and the vampires, which includes the girl with the reddish colored hair. Who, as it turns out, is half vampire. Shocker, right? Not really. You see, seeing your psychotic ex boyfriend again, witnessing some of your best friends turn into giant wolves, and regaining the ability to walk without a cane, nothing could really surprise me.

The short one kept trying to get me to go shopping with her. Which I denied. A lot. But that didn't stop her from still buying me an assload of clothes, most of which were things I would never wear. But she did get some good stuff. Like dickies pants, plain t-shirts, and some nice sneakers. But she seemed ashamed of that fact. Poor little pixie. Not. I heard the stories; I would not become a 'life-sized' Barbie like the one I used to have when I was a kid. But someone thought it would be hilarious to take it from a little kid and set it on fire. So excuse me if I didn't want to reach the same fate as my old friend '_Puta_'. Yes I had named her 'hoar'. But I was a kid! I thought it was a compliment since they called my aunt that all the time, and I loved my aunt.

Every now and then I would play 'Freak out the empath'. One of my new favorite games. It was right up there with 'Scar the mind rapist'. Both games took tons of mental skill. With 'Freak out the empath' I would go into the same room as the blond guy, Jasper, and force myself to feel all sorts of emotions to see how long it would take for him to either, retaliate, or just leave. Whenever he retaliated it was much funnier. Because then we would go until one of us succeeded in making the other do something weird. Like cry. I made him cry once. I won that game. And then he made me jump Paul as soon as he had walked in the door. Something I'm pretty sure Paul enjoyed. After that they didn't really want me to play with Jasper anymore.

But in 'Scar the mind rapist' I would do just that. I could take my mind to strange, and often frightening, places. I would make up all sorts of embarrassing situations in my head, many of which included Mr. Mind Rapist doing some, none-too appropriate things. This game was always funnier since I could play it from any room of the house and he would appear out of nowhere and stare at me like I had just kicked a puppy. I knew it was torture. And found amusement in it. But I guess Bella had enough of me freaking out her husband because she put a friggin shield around my mind. Which was good, because now I didn't have the Mind Rapist going into some private places. But still! I didn't get to play my favorite games anymore.

And in my time in limbo at the glass house I had gotten some pretty nice news. Giggles was preggers. Which would make me an auntie again. And Little Joshua would be a big brother. I hope its a girl. I would like to be the cool aunt to some little girl. I could give her the sex talk. Not that pussy 'bird and the bees' talk, but the hardcore sex talk. Full of graphic and scarring details that would keep the kid a virgin 'till she's fifty. I smirked at the thought. But even thinking had gotten boring.

So now I had taken to bouncing a tennis ball against the wall. For four straight hours. With every bounce of the ball the mind rapist in the corner who was busy with his piano would get visibly angrier. I was egging him on. And I was enjoying it. If I couldn't play Brokeback Mountain in my head and replace Heath Ledger with _Eddiekins _I could still finds ways to piss him off. With every toss the ball came close and closer to his head. Finally I guess he had had enough because his hand shot out and snatched the ball from the air and threw it out the nearest window. Effectively breaking the window, and taking away my most recent source of entertainment. I glared at him.

"Ass." Said and got up to find some other form of entertainment. I wandered through the house before finally deciding to venture outside to try and retrieve the ball Mr. Mind Rapist had gotten rid of. God, what I wouldn't give to have the shield up so I could insult him freely, and have him know. I stood outside the broken window and raised my arm to try and guess which direction the ball went. After picking a course I took the nearly empty packet of cigarettes and pulled one out. I lit it and started out on my recon mission. Once I had left from the view of the house I heard a rustling in a bush near me. I looked quickly and my heart started beating faster. Oh, god. Is it Spooky? Did he get passed all the werewolves and vampires and finally come to corner me and the woods and kill me?

I looked around widely, the cigarette flew from my mouth and off in some direction. I felt panic run through me. He was out there wasn't he? Watching from just beyond my vision. Moving in for the kill. I heard the rustling again and opened my mouth to prepare to scream. Someone stepped through the bushes but instead of it being Spooky it was Paul. I felt the all panic and fear dissipate and I was flooded with relief. I could have cried right then and there. I don't know why, but Paul made me feel safe. Like, as long as he was around nothing could ever hurt me. Screw it, I knew why. That freaking imprint thing.

"Uh, hey" he said awkwardly while rubbing the back of his neck. I flung myself forward and hugged him. I could feel him hesitantly put his arms around me. I breathed in his familiar scent of dog and the woods.

"Hi." I said into his chest. "You scared me. Please don't do that again. I thought you were him." I said. He tensed. I looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. Hold up Charlie, grow a pair.

"Charlie, I'm sorry. But, we haven't seen him. He just disappeared. His scent ends at the Pacific Ocean. We don't know where he is." He said. I closed my eyes. He is still out there. He's out there somewhere planning something. Tears were filling up my eyes. Threatening to fall. Come on man, don't be like this.

"_He'll be back_…" I said. The last words he said to me echoed through my mind. He'll be back. And he'll be angry. And when he's angry, nothing good comes of it.

"I'm sorry, but Sam called off the search. It's time for life to go back to normal. Or as normal as it can be for a bunch of werewolves." He said laughing awkwardly, trying to lighten the mood. He leaned down and stared into my eyes. And I stared into his. I got lost for a little while, and I could feel our lips betting closer and closer. His lips brushed mine, then he pulled away embarrassed. I smirked.

"Charlie, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for tha-" I cut him off by pressing my lips onto his. I pulled away slightly.

"You talk too much, _pinche_." I whispered.

000

**A little fluff for because I'm just a sucker for a little fluff :D **

**Enjoy and review! **


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 6**

I was finally home. After three weeks of nothing but annoying vampires and playing evil pranks on said vampires I was finally home. Like that time I replaced Rosie's shampoo with bright blue hair dye. Or when I had hidden all of Alice's credit cards. That was fun. But now I was back home hopefully none of the teachers would throw a BF about me being gone so long. But I had fake pneumonia. And I will milk that for all its worth. Which means, no exerting myself at all in PE. Because I wouldn't want to have a relapse now would I? Har-de-har.

I was sitting on the couch with Giggles. It was one of the few times when neither Paul nor Embry was around us. They were off on some important wolf meeting. I was smiling to myself remembering that little kiss Paul and I had shared after he had almost made me have a panic attack. Little Sleepy was playing around with some of his toys on the carpet in front of the couch. Giggles moved on the couch and waved her hand in front of my face. I looked up at her.

"What's that for, _Pinche?"_ I asked her.

"Just needed to make sure you weren't high or anything. You're smiling a helluva lot more for no reason. I wonder why." She said that last sentence knowing something. But honestly I didn't care.

"Is it wrong to smile without being high? Can't I just be happy for some other reason?" I told her. She stared at me. I felt alienated under her gaze. Then a look of realization came over her face and she leaned back on the couch and smirked.

"What's that look for?" I asked her. She smiled wide.

"You got it, Charlie. You got it bad. Real bad" she said smiling even wider, if possible. And she was right. I did have it real bad. Really really bad. But I didn't want to admit that. But it was true.

"Oh? Really? And what is it exactly that I have?" I asked. _It_ was the universal word for _love_. Having _it_ was the equivalent of being in love. Love was not a word we throw around though. So we just call it _it._ She looked at me annoyed. Then backhanded me across the arm.

"Don't play dumb, _puta_. I know, you know what I'm talking about"

"Yeah, so? So what if I got it?" I said. She smacked me again.

"You know, it'll be a lot easier if you just admit it, okay? I'll leave you alone about it and you'll feel better. Okay? So just say it." she said. And she was right. I had wanted to get this off my chest for a little while, back when I thought it was just a meaningless crush. But since the whole spilling the heart out of the imprinting thing I realized it was something more. At first I was upset. I didn't like the fact that the person who I would spend the rest of my life with had been chosen for me. But maybe, it wasn't chosen for me. Maybe it was just a push in the right direction. Giggles stared at me. Making the face that really made me want to tell her every bad thing I've ever done. It looked like the look a priest would give you during a confessional. If you could see their face that is.

"Okay." I said.

"Okay, what?" I glared at her. She would really make me say it, wouldn't she?

"I, Charlie Adelina Rivera am in love with Paul 'the werewolf' Johnson!" I said, trying on my best boxing announcement voice. Claudia punched me in the arm.

"_Chinga, _be serious. For once."

"Fine! I love him! I love him; I love him, I. Love. Him. Happy?" I said. She nodded, and smiled. I smiled to. I loved him. I loved him. I really loved him.

I was working at the diner on Thursday and I started school again on Monday. I was wiping off the counters after a very messy eater had finished up. I'll give you a hint as to who it was. He sometimes had four legs, sometimes two. He had a bit of an anger issue and I had a crush on him. Did you guess Jake? Well what the hell? You were wrong. It was Paul. He snuck out of school today just to spend his lunch with me. Which was nice. He was done eating but had decided to stick around.

My throat was kinda hurting. Maybe I actually did have pneumonia. But I have no idea what having pneumonia feels like so I don't really know. It was a slow day. I guess most people were at school or work. Where they were supposed to be. Giggles was off somewhere on a ,insert air quotes here, picnic with Embry. Which was good, because they looked so happy together. And I got to spend some time with my favorite little man, Joshua. I enjoyed the fact that every time I would cuddle the little guy Paul would growl low in jealousy. I was cruel, I know.

I after I had finished cleaning up I held the little boy in my lap and was talking to him and weird voices and tickling him. I felt a familiar warm hand on my shoulder. I looked to Paul and smiled a little at the fact he was jealous of a little kid. He grabbed the kid from me and sat him in a little highchair. I leaned against him, and he wrapped his arms around my middle. I smiled, I was happy. Purely and truly happy. For once, I felt as if my life had gained some sort of normalcy that I had heard stories about in the _Parque_. And I tell you what; I kinda liked this life, normal and all. Yeah there were werewolves, vampires, and the odd psychotic ex boyfriend popping up out of nowhere, but this was life. This was normal. And I loved it, just the way it is.

**Its super short I know, but I felt that this was a nice stopping point. I'm sorry if there are many mistakes. My head really hurts so I didn't really reel like staring at a mostly white computer screen. Review! **

**On a random note: side bangs! My block bangs have finally grown to the length where they don't look retarded when I try and make them side bangs! I can't tell you how long I've been waiting for my hair to grow back after I accidently went overboaard and cut my bangs way above my eyebrows (it wasn't pretty). Arg, my foot fell asleep. Later my homey g's! **

**Trans:**

**Pinche- asshole**

**Puta- whore **

**Chinga- fuck**

**Parque- park**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry that this chapter was late. But hey, its summer. And when its summer my mind literally runs away from me. I can focus on NOTHING. **

**Oh and guess what? I've gotten over *pause for dramatic effect* 1,100 hits to this story! Over 1,100 hits and only 10 reviews. Not complaining just saying, if you take the time to read please leave a review telling me how you think the story is. Pleeease? **

**Chapter 7**

Normal. Normal. Normal. What was there to say about life being normal? It's not like things before were so not normal, they were just, different than what you expected the world to be like. Normal life before didn't include running drugs, selling drugs, being in a gang, getting the crap beaten out of you for no reason, going to funerals more often than going to school, and running away being the good option. But that's what life was. Normal now was running with vampires, and werewolves, and hybrids, oh my! Normal was being happy, feeling safe, and finally coming close to fulfilling a promise made ten years ago. School ended in three months. Three months and I would finally be something my mom would have been proud to call her daughter. And I was getting excited about that. Every time I thought about it I would grab the crucifix from around my neck and send a quick prayer up to my mom and hope she got it.

I almost expected something to go wrong. Every day I expected something horrible to happen, to mess up what I had going. It was just what I had been conditioned to expect since most of the time, if something was going good, something had to come in and ruin it. I still freaked out every time I heard a twig snap expecting Spooky to run out from some hiding space and get me. Every time I freaked Paul would notice, which was incredibly sweet, and he would try and comfort me. Which was so nice, it made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Which is something I hadn't felt since seventh grade and I had the biggest crush on the quiet little nice kid in my wood shop class. But he left, he wasn't from around here, and he left once he found out how shitty it was in ELA. But of course, not as bad as it was in south central. If you know what I mean.

Oh, I almost forgot. Giggles was preggers again. No wonder her and Embry had been spending so much time together. They've been making babies. Little Sleepy would soon be a big brother. It was exciting. I would be an aunt again. I wonder what it'll be. If it's a boy it'd be cool. He'd grow up surrounded by all these werewolves. Nice guys they were. And if it was a girl, then damn, she would be the most spoiled little _chola_ there ever was.

000

I was bored one day so I decided to talk a walk. I used to do the same type of thing back in ELA. But then instead of walking on the side of the road in the middle of the woods I would walk on the sidewalk. Or the freeway, or the LA river. I hated to call that piece of crap a river. Because it's not. You go see it you'll think the same. I was kept getting a vibe today, something was going to happen, something good, I think. I'm not really sure, my vibes are just that, vibes. Not facts just feelings.

Every now and then a truck or car would pass by. But not many. Who the hell lives in Washington anyway? No one, that's who. Except for vampires and werewolves. It was one of those few days where it wasn't raining. It was still cloudy as hell but it wasn't raining.

Oh, damn. Looks like I thought to soon. Some lightning flashed across the sky and when the thunder followed after the rain started pouring. Isn't that just fantastic? I pulled the hood of my baggy sweater over my head and hugged myself around the middle. If Loki was here she'd be spazing out. Loki was Rascals little sister. And she was deathly afraid of lightning. Thunder she had no problem with. But as soon as that light would flash across the sky she got this look on her face and cry out, it would only last for the time that the lightning flashed. As soon as the light disappeared she'd be fine. It's weird, because even though she knew it was coming she still got scared. No one ever knew why she was afraid of the lightning. Not even our little group growing up. She's had that fear since she was a little kid, since before we ever became friends. And she never told anyone why she was afraid of lightning.

The sound of another truck came by and I saw its headlights around me. I turned towards it. It was pulling off the road. I used my hand to shield my eyes. The truck stopped, I couldn't see who was behind the wheel because of those damned lights. I quickly inhaled. Spooky? No. Stop thinking like that. The door opened and out stepped the driver. For the couple of seconds that it took for whoever it was to step into view I felt like I was having a heart attack. I almost started hyperventilating. I was soaking wet, feeling slightly miserable, I doubt I could hold my own against a vampire. Especially Spooky.

"Hey, Charlie, why are you walking around in the rain? You could get sick y'know." Paul. It was Paul. _Ay, gracias a dios. _I thought and crossed myself. I took a couple steps forwards so that the headlights weren't shining in my eyes. I looked at Paul and saw him looking at me worriedly. It really did annoying sometimes, him always worrying about me. But I shouldn't really be complaining, some people out there had no one who cared enough about them to worry. So if I complained I would just seem like just another _rico_ that had everything and complained about it.

"Just talking a walk, y'know to think and stuff" I said.

"But why in the rain?" he said looking at me like I was crazy.

"Well it wasn't raining when I started walking" I answered. Then smiled. He smiled back. He looked like a dumbass smiling like that. But I didn't mind. Then he looked like he was struck by some holy idea.

"Uh, do you want a-uh ride or sumin'?" he asked. _Porisito _was still a bit nervous. I nodded a little and started to make my way towards the other side of the car. I slid into the seat and he took the driver's side. We sat in a slightly awkward silence until he started the car and pointed it on the way towards home.

Something was wrong with me. I don't know what, but it was something. I used to be so full of life, and now…now, I just was quiet, so very quiet, always lost in thought like that one girl from back home, Tortuga. She was always there, physically, but mentally she was lost deep off in her mind. People blamed it on the drugs. She ODed one time and people thought it was because of ODing that she wasn't 'all there'. But I knew, she'd been like that since we were kids. She was smart, real smart, but hated showing it. She always would kinda drift off but say smart things that no one understood. But that was all back home.

Heh, back home. Isn't that a fucking riot?

000

I walked into my math class, late as usual, with my best buddy Paul by my side. We separated and he went to his seat near the window and I took mine in the back of the class. As soon as the teacher had seen how 'close' we had gotten he made sure to separate us. Jack ass.

I get the feeling that if Spooky was around I think he'd want to murder Paul. Spooky had never liked me hanging around with anyone. Especially not other _vatos_.

Even though I was situated behind him I always caught Paul sneaking glances at me during class, but I didn't mind it makes me feel nice. The teacher was up front showing how to solve some equations I didn't really care much about that, this was my fourth year of math; I didn't really need to pass this class to graduate. And the teacher just gave me that creeper vibe. One of the reason's I was glad I sat way in the back.

I examined the desk in front of me carefully. Carved into were the usual penises, curse words, usual bitching about the teacher. A lot different from my previous math class desk. It was carved with all that and then some gang names, gang signs, and of course scorch marks from when a handful of Latin Kings had set the desk on fire. Think that's too much? Well, this one time a tweaker snuck onto school property and shot and killed our then current principle. Trust me, not the first time that's happened. Our school had become a sort of dumping ground for the oldest, the creepiest, and the most screwed up of the LA school district. There nearly everyone was a super senior, or higher. I always wondered why they never closed the place down; I really thought they would after three kids ODed in the faculty bathroom off some bad 'milk'. But I guess something always kept it open, no idea what.

My throat was aching horribly, I guess I slept cold. I felt nauseas and starving all at the same time. I had already tried to eat a muffin before coming to school but it came up on the drive over. Can you say awkward? I had had my head hanging out the window of Claudia's van. She had let me use it to drive myself to school once I got back the ability to use my leg again. It felt nice driving, but it sucked that I felt like shit right now. I laid my head down and closed my eyes. God, I felt weird. I kinda had that feeling you got after you were out in the cold and then stepped into a warm room. Y'know that sorta just radiated feeling. But it wasn't that cold out, it was raining more often than snowing, and I wasn't all that cold before school. But whatever, I'll just sleep it off and I'll be feeling better by the end math.

_One, two Spooky's coming for you. _

_Three, four keep close what you adore, _

_Five, six or you'll be on the river styx._

_Seven, eight it's more than fate_

_Nine, ten you'll never see him again. _

The bell signaling the end of class came all too soon. It was really a struggle for me to pick myself up from the desk. More so than usual. The stupid dream I had just had kept repeating in my head to the melody of that song from the Friday the 13th movie. Stupid little kids with their stupid high pitched singing voices that make anything they say sound incredibly fucking creepy. And that song! What hell was all about? River styx? Fate?

I grabbed my bag. And headed out in the direction of the door, with an overheated puppy following close behind. After math I had lunch, which was good, since another nap for me. I followed the flow of traffic down the now familiar hallways until the endless stream of people dispersed into the lunchroom. I walked towards the lunch line; I should at least try to keep something down today. I grabbed my usual lunch and piled it onto my tray. My usual which included two slices of pizza, fries, a hamburger, and two bottles of water. I stared down at the food; it looked more unappetizing than usually. But still, a helluva lot better than the food back in ELA.

I sat at the usual table, with the other giants that have migrated there way over here after Paul. And that Kim girl that kept trying to be all 'buddy-buddy' with me. She was nice, I got that vibe from her, but I dunno, she seemed a little too nice. The usual chatter was thrown around the table and usually would have joined in, but I was focusing more on trying to keep this food down. And it was a challenge. I had already forced the pizza and a bottle of water, and I was trying to eat a couple of fries. Maybe I just have some stomach virus. Yeah, that's probably it. I stuck another fry in my mouth and swallowed it.

"Hey" Paul said from my right and nudged me in the side. "You've been awful quite today. You okay?" he said, his voice was full of concern. I got all warm and fuzzy again. I shrugged then tried to eat some more. I grabbed up my burger and took a bite. The burger looked delicious, and I was fucking starving, so I don't know why it was doing this to me. I took another bite. Screw it. I dropped it and sprinted over to the nearest trashcan. I had pushed at least a dozen people out of the way and was cursed at a couple times. Fuck them. I leaned into it and emptied my stomach into it.

"Ugh." I said, and leaned in again to vomit a little more. I felt hot hand on my neck, lifting my hair. I got the warm fuzzy feeling, along with some other not to pleasant feelings. I thought I felt bad before, but now, damn, now I felt like dying. It was never nice to see your lunch in reverse. And even when it was all gone I was still emptying my stomach of anything, and everything. I placed my hands on either sides of the can and lifted myself up. My head pounded, what the hell was wrong with me? I groaned loudly and sank against the closest warm object. Which was Paul. Nice, nice Paul. He was so sweet to me, too sweet. I didn't deserve it. I've done too many bad things; he deserves some nice little girl who still thinks 'drugs are bad, mmmkay?' Whether I deserved it or not I was grateful for the human hot water bottle I had standing next to me. Well, he wasn't really standing next to me, but holding me up.

"Baby, are you okay?" I heard Paul ask. Did I look okay? Honestly, I just puked up everything I've eaten in the last, I dunno three days and you have the nerve to ask if I'm okay. All the noises of the cafeteria suddenly jumped back to life. I heard it, everything. The whispers from across the way, a tray hitting the table to loudly, even my own breathing seemed to deafen me. I put crossed my arms across my stomach. God, it fucking hurts.

All the noises were getting to me; I heard my own blood roaring. God it hurts. Please, Please make it stop. I was whimpering. And that's when it started. It burned, dear lord how it burned. Then I screamed. And I screamed and screamed.

000

I heard beeping, some really annoying beeping. The burning from before had subsided some. But I could still feel it deep down in my gut. I felt a familiar warm hand on mine. I looked and saw that Paul had his head resting on the bed near me. I got the warm and fuzzies again. I had one of those weird close pin type things on my index finger and it had a little tube on it that traveled until it met up with a bunch of other tubes and wires. Was all that crap plugged into me? I looked around, taking in all the beeping monitors and machines. What the hell was wrong with me? I was wearing one of those gross hospital gowns that tied in the back.

I guess my movement had woken the sleeping giant because he had lifted his head so quickly I expected his neck have snapped. We just stared at each other for a second before he gathered me up in his arms and twirled me a little around the room. I smiled, this was nice. The beeping had gone from the slow beeping to one long continuous beep. God it was annoying. The door flung open, flying off its hinges and hitting the floor with a loud bang. What was with all these loud noises?

In the doorway stood the vamp doctor himself. He looked a little panicked but that changed once he saw me. When Paul saw him he placed me gently in the bed and covered me with one of those super thin hospital blankets. But he kept close. I looked up at the Doc expectantly. I was being patient, and I wanted some explaining done. How long had I been out? What was with the burning? Come on, doc. Make my day.

"Well, it appears that the patient is up." He said.

"No shit Sherlock. Now please, explain" I said. Cut the shit I want the truth. Hell, yeah!

"Ah, well of course." He said. "But first a couple of questions so I that I can conclude my findings." Fucking perfect. Conclude my findings, gah! What the hell?

"Okay, ask. Quickly please, before I blow a fucking gasket, human or not I will find a way to inflict pain upon you" I said pleasantly. Patience was not my strongest trait, if you hadn't already guessed that.

"Okay, so were you bitten at all? By a vampire I mean." well, uh, no fucking duh Doc.

"Um, well let's see…" I said placing my finger to my chin in mock thought. I grabbed the collar of my hospital gown yanking it off my shoulder where the scar was. "Does it look like I've been bitten? See that scar there that's from-" I stopped. The scar. It was gone. What. The. The doctor and Paul both stared at the empty shoulder. I yanked the other side off my shoulder, maybe I just forgot which side it was on. That's possible right? Yeah, totally. It wasn't there either. The doctor spoke.

"When you were bitten, did the vampire suck out all your blood? Were you healthy?" he asked.

"Um, yeah he sucked out some blood. And I was healthy, am healthy" I corrected myself. "But what does that have to do with anything?"

"You said some, if you could guess about how much?" I thought about that night so long ago. Spooky had been really mad, and didn't some too pleased that I accidently fell asleep and hung up on him.

"Well, not all of it. I 'member he said: 'your years of drug use has made your blood lose all taste'. After he spat some shit onto the ground." I explained. I didn't like going back to that night.

"Well, that answers that. I do believe I have a theory on what's going on." He said.

"Well enlighten us!" Paul screamed at him. He was shaking awful bad. I placed one hand on his arm and turned his face towards me. He relaxed a bit.

"Chill, let the Doc talk." I told him gently. The Doc nodded slowly, as if he understood. I hated when people did that, it annoyed me. Because odds are, they don't understand, they just act like they do to mess with you.

"Well, this is just a theory but I do believe that when you were bitten the circumstances were, let's say less than ideal for turning you then and there." He paused. I glared at him, don't pussy foot it Doc, get the hell on with it.

"Usually when someone is turned they have been drained of blood, because the vampire wishes to feed off them. You weren't. Most of the time they are near death because of said blood loss. I believe that on that night you had a little bit of venom injected into your blood stream. But not enough to turn you. I think that your body has been slowly tried to fight it off, like a virus. So it started to win, which is what, and your body went into shock, which caused you to pass out." He stopped. All the words floated through my mind. Woah, scifi much?

"Haha, very funny Doc' but I don't think this is the time for bullshit." He just looked at me. He wasn't bullshitting me. He was telling the truth. I was turning into one of those monsters. No, oh no. oh hell naw! The Doc seemed to know what I was thinking.

It felt as if my world was falling down around me. Everything was going was not good. I looked to Paul, trying to judge his reaction to all this. His face was blank. He withdrew his hand from mine. The absence seemed to leave my hand freezing. He was shaking violently, his form blurring. My eyes widened. Then narrowed angrily. I saw him run, run out of the door and off in some unknown direction. I heard yelling then crashing sounded like thunder but it was in the house. I wanted to follow, but was too angry to. The beeping of those stupid machines were really starting to piss me off.

"Can we please stop those fucking machines form beeping?" I screamed at the Doc. He nodded slowly and used his supernatural speed to unplug them all.

The beeping had finally stopped, but I wasn't feeling any better. I was angry, angry at Spooky, at the Doc, at Paul, and especially at me. This was all my fault. I wouldn't have come here then Paul would have never imprinted on me. If I had not been a pussy by running away from everything then none of this would have happened! He would be so mad at the fact I was turning into a monster. He wouldn't love me anymore after this. Running away, that's worse than suicide, because then, you still have to live with your shit. I sank to the floor. Poor Paul, I'm sorry I messed up your life.

I felt something slip down my cheeks. I brought a hand up to the strange liquid and placed it on my tongue. It was salty. I felt it again, and wiped away the liquid. I was crying. Crying like a little bitch because my life wasn't go the way I wanted it. Well, newsflash, life never goes right for you, deal with it. Giggles is gunna be so pissed at me. I sniffled then did my best to swallow my sadness, my anger, everything, until I was feeling void of all emotions.

"Doc, I want you to do what you need to, okay?" I told him. He looked at me puzzled.

"I'm afraid I don't understand"

"You said I'm turning. I want you to speed up the job. Finish it up. Complete the transformation, however the fuck you want to put it. I want it over and done with." I said, staring coldly into his eyes.

"Wouldn't you prefer to think about this? Take some time to think through all your options, maybe talk it over with Paul." he told me. I just stared at him. I continued calmly. Doing that, people think I know what I'm talking about.

"Did you see that? He just left. He left me in probably what is the time I need him the most to comfort me. And do you see what he did? He went through that door without even a look back. He doesn't matter right now. All that matters is me. You gotta take care of number one" I said gesturing to my chest with a thumb. "That's what you learn on the streets. I shouldn't have ever forgotten that."

000

**Yeah, so review. Sorry if there are any spelling errors or grammer mistakes but my mind is literally focusing more on the neural impulses and all the stuff it has to go through to transmit from cell to cell. Interesting no? **

**Trans:**

**Ay, gracias a dios- oh, thank god. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry this took forever. But I moved, I'm still getting settled &etc. I live in fucking Alaska now. ALASKA. **

**Chapter 8 **

"Is there any way to stop it? Reverse it?" I asked the Doc. I didn't want to be like Spooky. Anything, but being like Spooky. He just looked into my eyes. Of course not. Because then that would mean things would go smoothly. And nothing goes smoothly with me around.

"Then I want you to finish it. I don't care how much it hurts, it's better than just sitting around and waiting." I told him. He nodded slowly. I closed my eyes and rested my head in my hands. So this is how my life will go. It'll just go, and go, and go. I'll live forever. I never wanted that. I was content knowing I was going to die someday and just cease to live. Maybe spend a millennia or so up in heaven, but now I don't even get the chance. It would have been nice to die. I hear it's like going to sleep. Or like a horribly painful thing and then, nothing. Maybe someday, I'll get that chance.

"So, when?" he said. I lifted up my head to look at him."And you need to understand that after you do this, there is no going back. No final chance to be human. After this is done you cannot be around humans anymore. It'll be too dangerous, for them. And we can't have them getting suspicious about why you suddenly act and look very differently." He explained.

I rested my chin on my chest and closed my eyes. I was trying to not be angry with Paul. He had left. Right when I need him the most, when I needed someone to hug me and lie and say everything will be okay, he wasn't there. Stupid tears. Go the fuck away tears; you're not helping the situation right now. But maybe I'm being selfish. I'm expecting too much of him. Aren't I? I don't know. Oh, god. It physically hurts to be away from him now. Isn't that just god damn peachy? I've turned into one of those saps. But he must be hurting to, right? Didn't he say that when I'm hurting, it hurts him? So confused.

It's now or never. I just kept telling myself. Now or never. Better to do today than sit around waiting. Waiting is the worst. Not knowing if and when something is going to happen is torture. Doc had a syringe in his hand and did that thing you always see doctors do on tv. The whole flick the syringe while looking at it up close. He had about five of them lined up. I took a deep breath.

"Ready?" he asked. He held my arm lightly. I paused for a moment, angling my head to try and hear Paul coming. I made a face when all was silent then I nodded. _Now or never. _He held my arm lightly in his near freezing grip. The needle was coming closer and closer to the skin on my wrist and I turned my head to look away. That's one of the reason I never shot heroin, the needles, they freak me out. I felt a sharp poke then I started feeling numb, I'd missed this feeling. The feeling that only drugs can give you. And after this I'd probably never feel it again. Soon after I felt four more pokes and a burning sensation followed quickly after them. They traveled and finally met together in my chest where it then increased, sending the pain in waves to every point of my body.

Fuck me this kills.

000

I felt something warm. Not in the 'holy fucking shit I'm on fire kind of warm' that the rest of my body was feeling, but a more familiar warmth. It held me, an arm around my shoulders and the other on my legs. If I had to guess I would say it was cradling me.

A few words traveled into my brain, like a whisper, it was there but not. _I'm so sorry. _It made me angry. What gave him the right to hold me, touch me, let along be anywhere near me right now.

Like my friend Tortuga always used to say 'No matter how much you want it, no matter how much you try, the wrongs can never be righted. The damage is done'. I put all of my energy into what I did next.

"_Don't you fucking touch me!"_ I could tell if I had actually even said it, I might have yelled it, maybe even whispered it, or maybe nothing at all came out.

000

I remember one time, when it was all of us kids hanging out in the parque, Tortuga kind of disappeared for a while inside her own head. When she came to again we all asked where the hell is it that she goes when she leaves us in mind, but not body. She kinda just smiled sadly and pointed her index and middle finger to her temple. _Up here, I just sit back and roll with it._ I tried it once, just escaping into my own mind, it worked. Whenever Spooky would get in one of his moods I would do what Tortuga did. Just sit back and roll with it.

000

"_I don't know why you think you're the boss of everybody just because you're older!" Lady Joker yelled. But we were just kids, with ages ranging from 8 to 12. Back when Lady Joker was yet to be Lady Joker, When she was just Concepcion, I was yet to be School Girl, Giggles was Claudia, Tortuga was just Alicia, and Loki…Loki was always Loki, but when we were kids she was Loki our friend, not Loki our home girl. _

"_Callate, you're just jealous because Israel said she was prettier than you!" I yelled at her. Loki just sat back and watched everything closely, like life was just a big science experiment. Alicia wasn't even all there right now. And Claudia didn't even look like Concepcion was insulting her. _

_Concepcion groaned loudly. She turned and ran off yelling back at us how what I said wasn't true. Claudia stood up._

"_Wanna go get some food from McDonalds?" she asked us all. We shrugged in agreement; we had nothing better to do. We started walking on our way. All but Alicia who was still off in her own little world. _

"_Alicia, you coming?" Claudia called. Alicia shook her head, and dropped the clouds in her eyes. She smiled, nodded and jogged to catch up with us. _

000

_I was so excited. Today was the day of my gang initiation. Right after school I would go to the old jewelry store that burnt down where I would get my name. I had missed Claudia these past couple months. Her and Loki we already in the Gang. And they were just waiting for me, Alicia, and Concepcion. I was 13. My mom was dead, my dad to busy with his operation. I had no one telling me that this was a bad idea, it was more like…the family business. _

_When the time came Claudia, pulled me over and gave me a little piece of advice._

"_When it happens, you do like Alicia. Go into a private spot in your mind where nothing hurts. Throw punches. Show them how much cajones you got. Wait until it's over, and when it is you hold your head up high, and receive your name. Entiendes?" she whispered. I nodded. _

_The whole gang surrounded me. Except for the higher ups, who stood on a ledge looking down at us. I smiled, and closed my eyes. When I opened them I raised my fists. This is it. They swallowed me up, and I just went with it. _

000

_The funeral was big. Her family was there. And so was the Gang. Along with members of a rival Gangs. It was an unwritten code. Funerals were for grieving, they were off limits in a sense, for all gang related activity. They must have known her to. Everyone wore similar sad faces. Tears slipped silently for some, sobs racked the body of others. We were all here for the same reason. To honor the memory of Concepcion Bernice Colon Delgado, Lady Joker. Dead by her own hand. _

_This was my third funeral so far this month. More than other fifteen year olds have gone to their whole lives. And this wouldn't be the last, no where near the last. This one was a bit different than those though, this one felt of sadness. Actual sadness. Not that fake shit for a regular homeboy. _

_All the other home boys and home girls were nearer to the back. A gang members family, if they had a family, would always sit in the front, would always be the first to say good bye. The rest of us formed a line behind them. _

_Giggles was the first of us, with Sleepy trailing not too far behind. They were engaged, but whatever, that's her trip. They were gunna get married right when she turned legal. Which was only a month away._

_Loki went after her, laid a rose on her coffin, and walked to join Giggles. I wonder why they didn't let us see her. She was gone a whole three days before her body was discovered, something probably happened to her that the family didn't want to be reminded of. _

_I went next. I looked at the coffin, it was a good one. One of the finest I've seen. I laid down a rose, a red one. She always was the romantic. I said a quick prayer, then went off to join the others. _

_Concepcion's mother came up to me. I stopped and smiled sadly at her, a tear slipping down my check. She blew her nose into a handkerchief and stared at me. I felt kind of awkward. I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat._

"_You!" she screeched. My eyes widened. Me? "This is all your fault! This never would have happened if she never would have started hanging around with you filth! Now look what happened to my baby!" my eyes widened at this sudden outburst. I started to stutter, trying to say something, anything to tell her that wasn't true. It wasn't! It just wasn't true! _

_Her husband put an arm around her, and held her sobbing into his chest. _

"_Filth! You did this! YOU did this!" she continued to scream as he carried her off. I was left frozen in place staring after her. I was almost hyperventilating. I felt a hand touch my shoulder. I looked and saw Giggles. _

"_I didn't do this! You believe me, right?" I started to cry harder than the odd tear. _

"_I know sweetheart. Yo se." she said. She hugged me, followed soon after by Loki, Tortuga, and even Sleepy. I looked out, over her shoulder and saw something. A man, standing tall and staring in this direction. I didn't see him at the funeral. Did I? That was the Kings new leader, Spooky or something. He's been around since a little while after I first got my name. _

_We stayed close our little group, and walked the now all too familiar path down and out of the cemetery. I looked back from the gates, to see if that creeper was still staring our way from up on the hill. He was. What a fucking weirdo. _

_So many people are dying. Not that the fucking cops care. Even if it was a suicide it hurt. And knowing she did it to herself just hurts more. Everyone feels it, the guilt. They think if they would have talk to her. if they would have helped her. Saved her. Or even gotten her out of here. Would she still be alive? Every funeral is like that. This one was no different._

_Everyone is feeling the guilt. They think: why wasn't it me? I told him not to hang around with those kids. It should have been me._

_We walked away from the funeral, the sadness still hanging heavy. Out of all of us…who was next?_

000

_Today was a very busy day for those of us in ELA._

_I got shot today._

_Giggles is pregnant._

_Sleepy is in the war._

_Lady Joker is dead._

_Concepcion is too. _

_Spooky keeps popping up._

_Loki was arrested for stealing books. Goddamned books!_

_Her older brother Rascal is dying right next to me. _

_Her younger brother, Daniel, doesn't have a gang name. _

_He's taking care of their father._

_Their dad is in a wheel chair, he got shot, he's one of the older homeboys._

_Tortuga is off trying to steal her dinner. _

_Rascal stopped breathing._

_Mosca got kicked out of her parents place._

_Guera killed a boy in a drive-by, he was eight._

_Her intended target was the guy her blasted her brother._

_The target was Spooky._

_Her brother was Bandino. _

_Loki was bailed out._

_Tortuga is going to bed hungry._

_Rascal's not answering me when I yell for him._

_Mosca slept on a park bench_

_I actually like Rascal. A lot._

_I thought we'd be like Giggles and Sleepy one day._

_It's just a normal day in East LA. _

_I'm bleeding on the alley floor. _

_It burns. _

I'm scared.

000

I'm an angry indivudial. Whether it's because of genetics, my enviroment, or if that's just the way I was made, I don't know. I'm full of hate, anger, bitterness. And the few times I let my gaurd down and actually get foolish enough to think I'll get my happy ending something comes in a messes it up. But its not like I deserve any better. With all of done. I deserve whatever shit I get, and when I get one little sparkling moment of peace and happiness I know someone upstairs screwed up. I don't deserve the happiness, maybe the fact that I've come to terms with that is why I'm so angry.

But, hey. Maybe I just need to stop complaining so much and deal with it, happiness and all.

000

**It's cold and raining. In July. I miss you Southern California. And I realized something. Alaska and Southern California are a lot alike. There are a lot of drugs, crazy people, and hippies in both places. It's just hella fucking colder here. **


	10. Chapter 10

**No excuses this time, just me being a crappy writer. **

**Chapter 9**

The burning was slowly starting to fade away. It disappeared from most of my body and decided to take root in my throat. This was the thirst they had told me about. I wasn't even all done becoming a monster and it was already driving me insane.

I could open my eyes now. I was surrounded on all sides by the Cullens and various members of the wolf pack. Paul had come back, and was looking just about everywhere but at me. I didn't mind all that much, if I was him I wouldn't like me right now either.

My hair hung into my eyes and without even realizing I was doing it was counting every strand of hair in my vision. All around me I was painfully aware of the sound of each breath, real or fake as it was. Each heart beating drove me crazy. I could hear it; I could see the blood moving under skin. But instead of being enticed by the smell of blood, I was repulsed. It reeked of dog, the lot of it. And I didn't find that the least bit appetizing.

"How do you feel?" Doc C said first, effectively breaking the silence that I had grown comfortable with. I zeroed in on him unconsciously perceiving his mere presence as a threat. I straightened up trying to make myself look as threatening as possible. Although I hadn't a clue why.

"How d'yah think, Doc?" I growled. My voice, it sounded too strange and foreign. This was too much change to fast, I wanted some alone time. And maybe a glass of water, because I tell yah, my throat kills.

"Jasper, Emmett, and Alice, go take her hunting" he demanded. He sent a glance Paul's way "Paul, you go too" I cringed slightly. I did not currently know how to act. Should I pretend like nothing happened? Or try to talk to him? Would he even want to talk?

I stood, not much enjoying the fact that my mind was still busy counting anything and everything in the damn room. With just a glance I could tell how close everyone was to me (Paul: 2.3 ft., Carlisle: 4.7, and a glaring Leah was a whapping 10.8 feet to my left leaning against a wall that had seven pictures all in 9x12 frames.) each ray of sunlight had its own area, each area was home to about 754 specs of dust, and all of this information was in and out of my brain, processed in less than a second.

Jasper and Emmett started walking ahead of me, with Alice behind me, followed by Paul who, for all I could tell has looked at each picture 17 times, each person 23, and the floor 78 times, and at me 0. I followed them out the door and down a hall. In the hall were more pictures for counting to be done. A vase of flowers was at the far end of the hall and each of the petals was being counted. Every door I passed was quickly scanned for any threats and the quickest escape route was always lingering in the back of my mind.

We started going down a set of stairs, I reached for the railing out of habit only to have it become dust in my hands, to many pounds per square inch. I tried again, this time with a lighter touch only to have the same thing happen again. I grew frustrated with this stupid piece of wood and glared it before trying again to put as little pressure on it as I could. It crumpled again and I pushed it away, only to have the entire structure detach from the wall and fall down to the first floor with a clatter that hurt my ears. The time between its beginning descent and the time it hit was stored away in my brain. I looked ahead to see Emmett sniggering at my inability to walk down a flight of stairs without causing some type of destruction. I glared at him, trying to stop myself from throwing a fit and destroying half the house, all because of the stupid railing.

I felt a hot elbow nudge me slightly. I looked and saw Paul looking at me sadly. He held out his arm in a chivalrous manner and I was tempted to reach out and take it. I stopped myself and shook my head.

"I don't wanna break you like I broke the stupid railing" I whispered. And even in a whisper my voice sound too perfect, too melodic, too…annoying. Emmett started with another round of giggles.

"It'll take a lot more than a little vampire like you to break me" he replied. Untrue, Paulie. Untrue. I hesitantly reached a hand out. Stopping to let it hover a small bit away (0.73 inches to be exact) from his arm. I touched his arm with less pressure then the railing and was content when Paul smiled at me instead of screaming out in pain in the way that no railing could. Feeling confident in myself, we started down the stairs again. Three stairs down I heard a sickening snap coming from Paul's arm.

"Dammit!" I yelled out, tearing my hand away from Paul's now broken arm.

"Okay, now. Let's get the newborn outside before she kills someone" Emmett said jokingly, placing and hand on either side of my waist and hauling me upwards. I glared at him, partly for picking me up, but mostly because of what he said. I heard Paul growl while flexing out his healing arm.

"Hands, Bloodsucker" he snarled, causing Emmett to cautiously put me down. Paul looked to me "You'll get better at this, I promise. Like I said, it'll take more than a little vampire like you to put me down for the count." I clenched my teeth and stared down at the 5 remaining steps. (5 steps at 7.53 inches in height, with the exception of the third to the last one down which was 7.5299 inches) I was really hating my brain right now. Would that get better to?

I took a step down, content that no damage had been done I took another. I flew down the rest and the group of us continued outside, at the back of the house.

"We scanned the area. No humans." Jasper said. I looked to him, then to Paul, then the ground, absently counting the blades of grass.

"Yep! Go nuts, Newbie!" Emmett roared, smiling wide. I shifted my gaze to him. I took a step forward, testing an invisible boundary, looking for the okay to continue. Jasper gestured me forward. I looked at Paul one more time; he was looking at me this time. My gaze went ahead of me. I took one last look around before shooting off into the woods. I whizzed past trees, bushes, counting each and beginning to count the leaves before I was too far away to see them. I stopped in a clearing. I heard a bird chirping. I zeroed in on the sound, hearing the heartbeat. I let instinct take over. I jumped after it, it began to fly away but I jumped up and caught it mid-flap. I brought it to my mouth and tore a piece of it and begin to suck its blood down greedily. It was empty all top soon.

I repeated this with eleven more birds, ranging from a common crow to a delightful little chickadee, before I felt the burning taper. Content with my first meal I followed my own scent back to the Cullen's house where Paul, Jasper, and Emmett all stood in the same spots as I left them. (Except for Paul who moved six inches to the left.)

I looked to them, wondering if I had done good with my first hunt. I stared down at my blood stained clothes. Blood. Poor little birdie blood.

"Huh, first newborn I've ever seen who only drinks from birds" Jasper recalled. I swallowed.

"Paul?" I whispered. Looks like I'm gunna stick to whispering, I don't like my voice all that much, so the less I hear it, the better. He looked to me and raised an eyebrow. "Can I talk with you?" Emmett and Jasper disappeared in seconds, understanding that I wanted privacy. He nodded. I stared at the ground, slightly ashamed.

"I'm sorry" I spoke.

"What?"

"I'm sorry" I repeated. "I should have probably talked to you before I made the decision to…to become _this_" I said gesturing to myself. "And just so you know, I don't apologize all that often so you better enjoy this, 'cause odds are you ain't gunna hear me say it again." we stood in silence. "And I totally understand if you can't stand to be around a _bloodsucker_. If you wanna go, you can go ahead, I won't be mad or-" he cut me off by swiftly coming forward and pressing me to his chest. I practically melted. But who wouldn't? He was Hot. Temperature wise, that is.

"I'm not-I'll never." He paused, and took a deep breath. "I will never leave you. Not _ever_, not again." I nodded into his chest. To fearful that I would break another one of his bones if I risked putting my arms around to hug him. He might have guessed that because next he picked up my arms and lightly put them around his neck.

"Y'know" I started. "You ain't so bad, when it gets down to it"

Way off I heard a sound, someone was running here. Running quickly. The Cullen's and the parts of the Wolf Pack that was present appeared outside. I didn't bother moving. The running feet got closer. I saw Embry move up closer to Paul, nearer to the front of the gathering. I focused in on the sound. And a two heart beats. One was strong, going quickly. The other…it was smaller. A lot smaller and sounded… in trouble.

It was Jared who was running towards us, carrying armfuls of gore clutched closely to him. He came closer, stopping a few feet away. He laid his bloody bundle on the ground. The wind blew the scent of whatever Jared had over to us. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Embry stiffen. I did the same, I could smell it. The blood, it smelled stale but I smelt the blood all the same.

"It-It's Claudia!" Jared choked. Embry rushed forward, taking the bloody heap into his arms. What the hell is he talking about? Claudia isn't all bloody and dead. She's alive. She wouldn't be crumpled up all lifeless. She has a baby! She can't be dead with a baby. Jared is just wrong. He shouldn't say things like that.

"Spooky…He got into La Push. She was-She was at the diner and he just-" Jared stopped. Embry started shaking. "Last I heard from Collin and Brady, they lost him. He jumped into the Pacific again."

Embry didn't move.

"Embry, I can hear the baby's heartbeat. There _is _still a chance that we could-"

"No! Don't touch her! None of you FUCKING touch her!" he changed in a second from angry to sad. "Please, Carlisle, change her, do it. Make her comeback"

"Embry, son, you and I both know that no matter how much venom we pump into her she will not wake up. Her heart, it no longer beats. I'm sorry, but there is nothing I can do. But if you hand her to me I can save her child." The Doc said. I looked curiously over at Embry. Tears were starting to fall from his face, I could smell them. Why was he so sad? That wasn't even Giggles! He held it close, then slowly rested it on the ground. The whole of the Cullen family and the present wolf pack was silent.

Embry stood shakily. His hands went to his hair and he fell to his knees. He looked broken. I stared at the bloody mess. That sweater looked familiar.

"Alice?" I heard Jasper say. My eyes shifted to Alice, her face was blank. She snapped out of it soon after.

"I saw…I saw _him_. He's going back to LA, to wait for you, Charlie" she said. I took a step closer to the body, examining it. That hair, it looked like Claudia's. And that looks a lot like her gang tattoo. I got closer. Embry growled at me. And Paul growled right back at him. I ignored them. This isn't Claudia. Claudia's alive. This isn't alive.

One of it's eyes were open, staring vacantly past me.

_Claudia._

My mouth fell open, a strangled cry came from my throat.

_Claudia!_

I rushed forward, by passing the body, wanting to get that picture out of my mind forever. But I couldn't. each detail, each droplet of blood played a permanent fixture in my mind. I started running, ignoring the voices yelling out behind me.

I ran through the forest, stopping suddenly. I was angry. I was _beyond_ angry. I reached out to touch a tree as softly as I could. It crumpled. I lashed out at it. And the surrounding trees, breathing heavy out of habit instead of actual need.

"_Goddamn it! Goddamn you Spooky! GOD DAMN YOU!" _ I screamed.

***sniffle* I actually feel insanely sad that I killed off Giggles. But, alas, we are reaching the climax of this story, so that mean in a couple chapters it shall be over. **


	11. Chapter 11

**You know what I love the most about Thanksgiving? (Which is when I'm currently writing this AN, although it probably won't be seen by anyone for a couple days…) My after turkey nap. Did you know that the chemical in the turkey that makes you sleepy is the essential amino acid tryptophan? Tryptophan increases your brains production of serotonin. This serotonin makes you calm and sleepy. And now you know. And knowing is half the battle! **

**Aaaaanywaaaay on to the story! **

**Chapter 10**

"Well, Charlie." Doc said. Causing me to tear my attention away from the little baby I was holding in my arms. It had taken them awhile (the wolves especially) to trust in holding my little niece. They named her Graciela. Although Embry refused to call her that, refused to even look at, or even be near her. Poor baby. His own kid and he doesn't even want to acknowledge her existence! He doesn't do much of anything anymore. Just mopes around the apartment above the diner. He doesn't want anyone going in there and disturbing her scent. Which has caused me to stay in my current home, the Cullen's mansion. Paul stays with me and I enjoy the hours of peace that I get when I lay with him while he sleeps. "I commend you on your ability to control your bloodlust. Only three short months and you already seem as in control as Edward or Rosalie." I smiled at him.

"Thanks Carlisle. I guess it's a little easier with the right motivation." _Revenge. _I silently added, glad that Bella had kept the shield up in my mind, more for privacy now then scarring her poor Eddiekins. I heard Little Joshua, who was currently riding on top of Paul's shoulders, yelling about food. "Looks like someone's hungry. You want food to little Gracie?" I cooed to the baby. She just gave me an open mouthed smile. I stood, gesturing for Paul to follow with the other kid, and set off for the kitchen. In the back of my mind I continued to count things. That had gotten easier to deal with but was still a bit annoying, especially when I started count how many times I had counted something.

I made a peanut butter sandwich for Joshua and tossed some formula from Graciela's diaper bag into a bottle and stuck it in the microwave. I hopped up onto one of the counter and rested the baby into her little car seat. She looked like the pictures I had seen of Claudia when she was a baby. I closed my eyes and rested my chin on my chest. _Claudia. That bastard killed her. I'll murder him. Tear him apart piece by piece and set the whole damn city on fire just to make sure he's gone. He deserves so much worse for what he did! He tore out her heart. The sick fuck stole her heart right out of her chest and-_

"Hey" Paul said, interrupting my inner rant. I opened my eyes and looked up at him, smiling meekly. "You okay?"

"Ye-no." I shook my head. "I'm not okay. I'm angry. Beyond pissed! Because of what _he _did to her! He practically orphaned two kids and he stole my sister from me!" while saying this I had jumped up from the counter and started to pace at an impossible speed around the kitchen. "The sick bastard killed her!" I said and sank to my knees. "He killed her." I whimpered, covering my face with my hands. I hadn't cried much before my 'transformation' but I'd give anything to cry right now. To be able to feel that salty liquid fall down my face. What I once thought was weak, I would give anything to be able to do right now. I felt Paul behind me; he pulled me to his chest and held me there tightly.

"I know, babe" he whispered into my ear. "And trust me, no one know more than me, I've been in Embry's mind. And since _it _happened he hasn't been the same. It hurts now but Spooky will get what's coming to him." I nodded slowly into his chest. _He will get what's coming to him. Torn to pieces and torched like the trash he is. I'll make sure of it._

_

* * *

_

I stood in front of the door to mine and Claudia's old apartment above the diner. Silent, with Paul a couple of inches behind me, his heat radiating through my thin sweater. I could hear Embry's heartbeat on the other side of the door and I could smell his scent. He knew we were here.

"Open up Embry." I spoke. For a moment I heard nothing, then the door was flung open, revealing a very tired, very sick looking version of Embry.

"What do _you _want?" he snarled. I heard a growl come from deep within Paul chest, which Embry exchanged with one of matching intensity.

"I have come to talk. I know I'm probably the last person you wanted to talk to but I guarantee you, that you will want to hear this" I reasoned. He just stared at me, then left the doorway. He took a seat on the couch. My old bed, and glared. I followed him but stayed standing in front of the coffee table, Paul not too far behind. "Embry" I continued. "I have a plan. A plan that I would like your help with." He looked up at me curiosity sparked slightly in his dead eyes. "I plan to go back. And I want you to come with me and Paul. We are going to find Spooky, and I would like your help in killing him."

He tore his gaze from me and stared down at his hands.

"And why the hell should I help _you _with anything!" he exploded. "If anything, I should be wanting to kill _you! _It's your fault she's dead! It's your fault he even went after her! None of this would have happened if you couldn't keep your legs closed around that bloodsucker!" I flinched.

"Don't you dare-" Paul started.

"You don't think I fucking know that!" I screeched. "I know it's all my fault! But do _you _know what? I'm not the one you killed her! I wasn't the one to make two little kids virtually parentless! _I am not the one who tore her heart right out of her fucking chest!_" I paused and shook my head. "_He _was. And no amount of hatred towards me will ever bring her back! So just tell me, Embry. Do you want revenge against the asshole who stole your imprint away from you? Or do you just want to sit here, demented and sad, and wish you could have done something? Well you can do something. You can come with me and Paul, and you can fucking avenge her!" I finished my tirade and took a deep breath. I stared at him waiting for an answer. And I got one, the one I wanted.

"I'm in"

"Good. We leave in ten." _Then we will go. And we will fucking destroy him! _

**huh...I finished this whole chapter in one sitting. Which is remarkable with my ability to procrastinate. Speaking of procrastinate: did you ever notice how people never procrastinate when it comes to actually saying/spelling the word procrastinate? So don't say reading fanfiction never teaches you anything, that's two things right there! Want a third? Okay. Here it goes: ZZ top guest starred in the third Back to the Future movie, and they actually wrote the song that they performed during their scene. Now go forth with this knowledge! Because we all know: Knowledge is power! (thats a fourth! I'm on fire with useless facts today)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 11 **

I stood at the top of one of the hills that surrounded the fair city I once called home. The sky was a dark colored orange and numerous planes flew overhead. In the back of my mind the streetlights were being counted and recounted. The high-rises stood menacingly tall compared to the rest of the building. I zeroed in on my old neighborhood and took one last look at the few visible stars that had the courage to show their face in this sky.

"Let's go boys. Phase back" I said over my shoulder to the horse sized wolves that had followed me from way up north not stopping once. Paul was sitting on his haunches a few feet from me. While Embry was further back and even in wolf form he looked like crap. His fur was shaggy and dirty, and his ribs were poking through his skin. The dead look in his eye was enough to make me turn away. "We can't have you walking 'round trippin out the good ole people of Los Angeles. We're gunna stop for the night, you boys'll rest and I will go and visit someone." I said definitively. Che, _definitively_. Not only the damn counting but know I'm using words that belong in the mouths of those private school learned trust fun using bastards who DESERVE ALL THE-

Calm. I closed my eyes momentarily to try and relax. Can't have me having a hissy fit on top of a goddamn mountain now can I? I growled into the open valley and took off down the hill, the boys none too far behind.

I hid the boys in an old abandoned warehouse and waited until I heard their heartbeats slowdown enough to signal sleeping. I stood looking over them wishing desperately that it didn't have to be this way. Anything but this. I shook my head and turned heel, making my way through the familiar even in death streets of my old neighborhood.

I stared into the black curvy numbers that adorned the side of the entrance to home of the last of my little gang of friends. _Loki. _I had tried to find Tortuga, but… I couldn't find HER. COULDN'T FIND AND COULDN'T SAVE-

I shuddered and knocked lightly on her beat up wooden door. And even lightly the knock echoed and my knuckles left dents just below the peep hole. I clenched my fists at my sides trying not to lash out against the innocent door. I heard Loki rushing around inside. Her heartbeat sped up when she reached the door.

"_Charlie_" I heard her whisper. She opened the door a crack. "Wha'chyeh wan', Charlie?" she asked, her peculiar accent shining through.

"To talk" I pleaded. She sighed and opened the door the rest of the way.

"Come on, th'n" she cocked her head, gesturing to the couch that was hidden behind piles upon piles of books stacked up to nearly thigh level. When I took a seat in my old spot she sat in the farthest available seat away from me. _That's Rascal's seat. "_Now, what is it yeh be wantin' to talk about with meh?" I looked to her, and stared straight into her eyes that were looking to the far off section of the house.

"What happened, Loki? What the hell happened while I was gone?" I asked, taking notice that the only scent that were heavy in the house was that of Loki herself. Where was little David?

She startled as if I had reached out and punched her. She turned to face me, a fire lit behind her blue eyes. She stood, sidestepping the piles of books that stood between her and me.

"You want tah fucking know what _happened_ while you went off on yer fucking vacation?" she yelled. I stared at her, wide eyed. "I'll tell yah what fucking _happened._" She flung her arms out and let three stacks of books tip sideways and sprawl all over the visible parts of the floor. "Spooky fucking _happened!_ You just had tah go an' get yerself mixed up with that damn psycho, didn't cha?" I stared.

"Wha-?" I started.

"Don't even! He went after anyone who ever even heard who tah hell you were! Tortuga…gone! He went after her first and ripped her tah fucking _shreds_ when she wouldn't talk about where yeh were. She didn't even know where the hell yah were!" she paused as her voice broke. "An' I didn' know either. he came an' he…an' he-" she let loose a sob. " 'E fucking killed Davie! No gaddamn rhyme or fucking reason an' he fucking killed mah little brother for nothing" she sank to her knees in front of me. I reached out a hand to try and comfort her but stopped and pulled back. Spooky did that. Spooky FUCKING KILLED DAVIE! LITTLE FUCKING DAVIE AND TORTUGA AND GIGGLES AND- STOP!

"I-I'm" I started. "Don't worry Loki, I'll do something to fix this. It's just you and me now. I'll find a way to right this I swear I'll-"

"No!" she screeched. "No, It's not just yeh and me dammit!" she calmed slightly. "It's just me, Charlie. It's just me." she murmured while mindlessly sorting through the books that had fallen to the floor. "It's just me now, Charlie. You bloodsucking traitor. Just me, and I'm not sorry" she said looking up from her books and into my eyes. "Not sorry at all" she said and smiled.

"What the hell are you talking about, Loki!" I yelled searching her face for some clue. She ignored me and continued to organize her books and murmer over and over again that she wasn't sorry. "Loki damn it look at-!"

"Well." A voice said from behind me. I froze and shot up. "Isn't this a heartfelt fucking reunion?" I turned towards where the voice was coming from. "Welcome back to Los Angeles, Charlie. Believe me, things just haven't been the same since you've been gone."

"S-Sp-Spooky." I said, letting the fearful side in me shine through. No. My eyes narrowed at the sight of him. My fists clenched and moved into a protective stance in front of Loki. I wouldn't let him get to her.

"Nice to see you again Spooky!" I heard Loki cheer. She stood up from her books and took a few steps towards him. "I did wat'cha said der Spooky. You said she would come, and she did. An' I kept her here just like you asked." She started nodding wildly. Her voice reaching a near childish quality. "I did watcha asked. Mh-hhm. I did!" her hands started to rub at her face and pull at her hair. "I did what'cha told me, Spooky! Can I have Davie back, Spooky? Can I have back my Davie?" I stared at her. This is a side of Loki I haven't seen since…Rascal died. Then she went a little crazy and locked herself up in her room with nothing but her books. "Can I have my Davie back? Gimme backs my Davie!" she started to cry again. "Please Spooky? Let me see my Davie again." she fell back to her knees. "Please?"

Spooky looked down at her in disgust. "Oh right, of course" he rolled his bright red eyes. "Come on out Davie, Your sister wants to see you" I tensed as an overly pale Davie appeared at the right hand of Spooky. The vamp-Davie smiled. A smile that chilled me to the core.

"Nice to see you again, Sissy." He said stalking forward. "Very, wonderfully, deliciously, delectably, nice." He said while stalking forward and sniffing the air loudly, his eyes darkening with each passing second. Loki just looked at him like the long lost brother that he was. She opened her arms to him.

"Davie, you shouldn't go off like that. Sissy wouldn't be able to handle it if you got hurt like Rascal and Mom" Davie took a few more steps forward going agonizingly slow. "I love you Davie. I'm so happy to see your okay" Davie smiled.

"Likewise" and with that he pounced forward, tackling his sister to the floor that still had books scattered all about, attaching himself to her neck I saw him bite down. The blood began to flow and I watched as Little Davie, the good one, the _only_ good kid that I ever knew, sucked the blood out of his sister. She laid there frozen for a moment then she began to scream.

"Davie! Davie, I don't wanna play anymore, Davie. It hurts Davie. Please, Davie! I don't want to play anymore!" she screeched her voice and resolve weakening. And suddenly, as if someone had pressed jumpstart on my brain I sprang forward to try and tear Davie off her. A white flash and I was staring up at Spooky from the floor. I growled up at him and struggled to get on my stomach to crawl away. He had his hands pinning down my wrist and he sat on my lower back.

"No" he said leaning over me and growling into my ear. "Watch, Charlie. You didn't get to watch Tortuga or Giggles. _This_ you need to watch." I let out a loud angry growl and tried to buck him off of me. "Stop" he commanded, slamming me hard into the fake hardwood flooring that cracked underneath the force. "Here comes the good part" he said I could feel the sick smile in his voice.

Davie rose to his knees from his sister, who had ceased to move. He had a horrid look about him, the blood staining his chin and clothes. He slowly raised his right hand and used the nail on his index finger tear open his sister's tshirt. I started flailing wildly.

"No, damn it! Davie! That's your fucking sister! Your own fucking _sister!_" I yelled continuing to get Spooky off of me. Spooky let out a long low whistle. And one by one more vampires filtered in until there was a dozen surrounding the carnage in a loose circle. I searched their cruel faces for some sense of disgust. But they all looked oddly…excited. I struggled more. But Spooky only seemed to get off on this.

Davie continued to trace a line from Loki's collarbone to her belly button. He grinned wildly then brought his hand back then rapidly plunged forward into her chest. I screamed for her, who couldn't scream for herself. He dug around for a moment then got an enlightened look on his face. He pulled his bloody hand out and licked his lips. And there, resting in his palm was none other than the still beating heart of his sister. He raised it above his head and rose from the floor. He puffed his chest out and proudly smirked. The group that surrounded him clapped for him. I wanted to scream and yell and tear every single one of them limb from limb.

"Well now" Spooky started. "Quite the show, wasn't it, Charlie?" he said flipping me onto my back. He dipped his head to the crook of my neck ran his nose along my skin. I cringed away from him which seemed to anger him since he chose to slam me roughly into the floor.

_What the hell is wrong with me?_

Spooky practically fucking purred as he took in my scent.

_I came back to California to get revenge_.

His tongue slithered out of his mouth and went along the same trail as his nose, causing me to cringe even further away from him. He growled.

_And now I am just lying back, thinking of England. Why aren't I trying? Why aren't I fighting? This man killed my friends, he took away from me everything and everyone I ever held dear except…Paul. But Paulie wasn't here right now. It was just me and 14 bad guys. I could never make it against them all. _

_But…_

_At least I could try. _

_I could FUCKING try! _

**its nearly 4am and I am nearly bout to crash. Enjoy! **


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